All Things Considered
by Allison McDonnell
Summary: A sequel to 'The Greater Good' which is set in New Pacifica. It's time to make things right.
1. Chapter 1

**ALL THINGS CONSIDERED**

Rating: PG-13 (profanity, adult situations)

Disclaimer: Amblin and Universal own it. Whatever.

Author's notes: A huge thanks to FCB Kate and to Manuela for their beta and for all of their wonderful help.

More author's notes: This is the sequel to my fic, "The Greater Good." I'll summarize it for you, so you don't have to go back and read it again. Devon became sick and was placed in a cryotube to prevent her death. The Edenites discovered that the reason for her illness was because she lacked a bio-stat implant. Because Eben's chip was too damaged and Bennett's crew didn't have implants, the group had originally planned to carry onward to New Pacifica and would return for Devon when a chip either could be manufactured or became available after the colony ship arrived. However, before they could leave, the Terrians dreamed to Alonzo and explained that it was imperative that Devon was healed as quickly as possible. Apparently, the Terrians had foreseen the future and, if things had remained as they were and Devon hadn't been restored to leadership in time to greet the colony ship, all would be lost. The colonists would have rejected the planet and, ultimately, the planet would have rejected humanity. A change in their destiny had to be made. To achieve this, Danziger's bio-chip was removed and implanted into Devon. During the operation(s), Danziger met Devon on the Dreamscape to say good-bye. She woke up to find that she was healed and John was now the one in the cryochamber. The story ends with Devon, True and the rest of Eden Advance leaving Danziger behind and reinitiating their journey to New Pacifica.

Timeline: New Pacifica, approximately twenty-eight months after the events of "The Greater Good."

Summary: It's time to make things right.

* * *

_"It just wouldn't be New Pacifica without John."_ - Devon Adair, Brave New Pacifica

* * *

This was the day that Devon Adair had been waiting for. Although she had been preparing for this momentous event for just over two years, it had felt like a lifetime. The remaining members of Eden Advance were ready, too. Together, they had survived a multitude of obstacles that had been thrown into their path and had learned to work together as a cohesive unit. They had journeyed across the continent at a brisk pace, bound and determined to make up for the three month period of time lost when the cold weather had forced them to seek refuge in the biodome. And now, thanks to Devon's unwavering leadership, the crew's tireless commitment, and the fortunate recovery of several of their missing cargo pods, the once untamed coastline known as New Pacifica was now a budding township. There was more than enough housing for the crew and for the 248 Syndrome families as well as a cafeteria, a large meeting hall and a two story administration building. The hospital was also fully equipped and Devon had placed its daily responsibilities in the very capable hands of Dr. Julia Heller. Devon had personally seen to it that every minute detail of their mission had been checked and rechecked numerous times. After all, too much hung in the balance for there to be any mistakes. In the minds of every member of Eden Advance, this was about finally setting things right and, in a few cases, this was also a labor of love. Failure was simply not an option. Because today was the day that John Danziger was finally coming home.

* * *

Devon was already hurrying toward the docking pad by the time her gearset alerted her of the shuttle's impending arrival. She skillfully moved through the busy streets of New Pacifica, weaving her way in between prefabricated housing units and groups of colonists, many of whom were casting odd glances in her direction. She reached the landing site just after the ship had touched down and a large crowd including medical personnel, True, Uly and the rest of the Eden Advance crew had already fanned around the vessel's lowering platform. The gathering also contained a heavy dose of curious spectators. Most of the colonists present were there to show their support of their endeavor to help a fallen comrade. Others were simply interested in seeing the man who had been the subject matter of much of the town gossip. And a few were there to witness the rescue mission firsthand, genuinely perplexed as to why so much time and effort was being spent to save the life of someone whom they'd considered to be nothing more than a worthless Drone.

"Let's make some room people," Alonzo demanded from the ship's doorway as Julia and a medical technician wheeled Danziger's stretcher down the ramp and into the frenzied crowd.

Julia ignored the barrage of questions being hurled at her and, instead, focused her energies on her patient. "We need to get him into surgery before any more of the Koba venom wears off," she declared to the assembled group of doctors and nurses. "Is the O.R. prepared?"

The staff nodded in affirmation. "Good. Let's go," she instructed with an authoritative wave of her hand as Alonzo joined her. The team began to push their way through the throng, but halted when they came upon a very worried True.

Her eyes were brimming with tears as she reached out to touch her father's lifeless form. "Dad?" she whispered, her lip quivering.

Julia placed her hand on the young girl's shoulder. "He's going to be okay, True," she said in an encouraging tone, successfully masking the fact that John's life was still very much in peril.

True's hand slipped back to her side as the medical crew whisked Danziger away to the hospital located at the center of town. Most of the members of Eden Advance followed behind them, content to spend the next several hours settled in the waiting room of the building's surgical wing until it was known whether or not John's neurochip implantation had been a success.

The rest of the crowd immediately started to dissipate and splintered off into several smaller groups as they returned to their regularly scheduled duties for the day. Devon, with Uly now in tow, had also begun the short trek toward the hospital. However, they stopped and returned to the docking pad when they noticed that True had remained exactly where she was, her feet seemingly rooted into the ground.

True continued to stare off into the distance, her frightened eyes centered on her father's stretcher as it disappeared into the bustling town. "He felt so cold," she said with a shudder.

Devon slipped her arm around the girl and gave her a comforting squeeze. "You heard what Julia said, Honey. Your Dad is going to be fine," she assured, following the physician's lead and putting on an optimistic front. Devon knew that it was imperative to True and to the others that she remain as calm as possible, despite the wide range of emotions that she was currently experiencing. Seeing John Danziger in the flesh again after such a long period of time was enough to make her want to shout for joy. But seeing him in the clinically dead state which he was currently in, a condition that would remain permanent if the operation failed, was enough to almost make her lose the contents of her stomach.

Devon's arm remained around True as the threesome slowly began to make their way toward the hospital. As they walked, Devon thought about how incredibly proud she was of both of the children and she marveled at how much they had grown in the past two years. She sighed, noting that the very same could be said of the other members of Eden Advance as well.

* * *

Several excruciatingly long days followed. The surgery had been a difficult one, but there was every indication that it was successful and a full recovery had been expected. Yet to everyone's shock, Danziger had never regained consciousness and was completely unresponsive to all stimuli, even pain. Many of his friends and family began to speculate that something had gone terribly wrong and feared the worst. Perhaps his body had rejected the bio-stat chip. Or maybe the century old cold-sleep crypt on Bennett's ship which was supposed to have protected him had malfunctioned in some way.

Another distinct possibility was that the mechanic had accidentally overdosed or suffered a toxic reaction to the Koba venom. Even almost two years after Julia had injected the Koba poison into Devon and John's systems, the substance still had many unknown properties which she knew nothing about. She wished that she had been able to find another way to temporarily shut down their vital organs to allow her to perform the extremely delicate procedures. However, even if the doctor had somehow miraculously come up with a different option, Elizabeth had warned them that the neural implants were endowed with a fail-safe mechanism which would kill them outright if it sensed that it was being tampered with or removed. Using the Koba poison to trick the bio-chip into thinking that its host was deceased seemed to be their only viable option. And now it was entirely possible that, in Danziger's case, it might be more than a trick.

Julia ran test after test, but was at a loss to find the reason why Danziger had remained literally dead to the world. By the fifth day, many started to wonder how much longer they should wait before concluding that John's situation was hopeless and making the necessary arrangements to provide him with a proper burial.

Throughout the ordeal, True was steadfast in her refusal to give up and was convinced that her father would return to her. She had vigilantly remained at his bedside and a second cot was moved into his hospital room for her to sleep. Many colonists thought that it was cruel, bordering on the macabre, to allow a young girl to spend her days and nights with a family member who was essentially dead. However, those who knew True best understood that this was where she needed to be and that she could never be persuaded to go elsewhere. As such, the rest of the Eden Advance crew, especially Uly and Yale, came by to lend their support of the Danzigers as often as possible. Devon also continued to visit John as much as her jam-packed schedule as the town's Executive Administrator would permit her to do so.

It was during the very early morning hours of the seventh day that a faint beeping sound gradually awakened True from her fitful slumber. Still half-asleep, she staggered out of her bed and stumbled throughout the darkened room as she sought out the source of the noise. As she neared her father's cot, she was snapped wide awake when she realized that the sound was emanating from one of the many machines which had been hooked up to monitor his life signs, or lack thereof.

True bolted out of the room as fast as her legs could carry her and raced to the nearest nurses station which was located at the end of the hallway. There was a single nurse on duty who had nodded off, hoping to catch an hour or two of uninterrupted sleep before her next set of rounds. True barely slowed down as she hurried around the desk and grabbed the unsuspecting woman by both shoulders, shaking her hard.

True's face was mere inches from the nurse's as she shrieked at the top of her lungs, "MY DAD'S ALIVE! GET JULIA! HURRY!"

The poor hospital employee could only sit there in stunned silence, her heart in her throat and her ears ringing. The first comprehensive thought that came into her mind was that, if True's father hadn't been alive before, that piercing scream had certainly been loud enough to wake the dead.

After finally regaining her bearings, the nurse was able to extract True's hands from her shoulders and retrieve her gearset from the countertop. As the two rushed back down the corridor to John's room, she contacted Julia at her residence to alert her of the possible change in her patient's status.

* * *

By mid-afternoon, the entire crew of Eden Advance had crammed into Danziger's hospital room. Although John was still unconscious, the medical equipment relayed a steady increase in his neural activity, a strengthening heartbeat and confirmed that his body heat had finally risen above room temperature. He was also breathing on his own and True was mesmerized by the sight of his chest rhythmically rising and falling. At last, the moment that she and the others had been praying for arrived.

"True," John croaked out, slowly opening his eyes.

There was a mad rush of activity as his friends let out a jubilant cheer and crowded around his bed. True flung her arms over her father, hugging him tightly and burying her head into his neck.

"Hi, Daddy," she whispered, crying tears of happiness.

Danziger felt a firm pat on his shoulder. "Welcome back to the land of the living, Buddy," Walman exclaimed with a wide grin.

John was considerably weak and disoriented and it took most of his energy to turn his head toward the group of people closest to him. However, the images remained too blurry for him to decipher who anyone was. He heard a voice which must have been Julia's telling him not to attempt to speak and to lay as still as possible while she examined him. Of course, he ignored her.

"Did it work?" he asked in a raspy voice.

"I just said no talking, Danziger," Julia declared as she shook her head in mild disapproval, amazed that John had been awake all of fifteen seconds and was already disobeying doctor's orders.

John made a desperate grab for her diagloved hand which was hovering over his stomach, gripping her securely by the wrist. There was a frightened, almost despondent, quality to his eyes and voice. "Did- it- work?"

The room went silent, all of them thoroughly confused by Danziger's actions. Even True flinched at his unusual behavior and backed away from the bed to stand in between Bess and Morgan.

Julia carefully disengaged her hand from the mechanic's grasp and her tone was sympathetic, yet concerned, as she replied, "You're going to be fine, John. We did have a bit of a scare for a few days. I think that we may have injected you with too much Koba venom. But I expect you to be up and around in as little as two or three-"

"No, not me. Devon," he interrupted in between anxious breaths. "Is she-" He paused as if unable to form the words.

Comprehension collectively dawned on the group. Julia gave John a warm smile before moving out of the way to make room for a different visitor. "Why don't you see for yourself?"

Danziger squinted as another person slowly came into view and sat down on the bed next to him. Although his vision remained hazy at best, he recognized her immediately.

His rigid posturing relaxed and a small grin formed on his lips. "Hey, Adair," he said softly.

"Hey, Danziger," Devon whispered, her voice cracking slightly. "We've missed you."

John wanted very much to continue the conversation but, despite his best efforts, he was too exhausted and his eyes began to flicker shut. It wasn't long before he drifted off into a comfortable sleep, grateful and relieved that those he cared about most were safe and sound.

* * *


	2. Chapter 2

CHAPTER TWO:

Danziger remained unconscious throughout the rest of the afternoon and evening, somehow managing to sleep peacefully through a parade of often boisterous visitors and well-wishers, not to mention being poked and prodded during several doctor's exams. It was late the following morning when a single voice mixed in with the clattering sound of fingers striking a keyboard finally ended up rousing Danziger awake.

The first thing that he realized after prying open his eyes was that he was no longer hooked up to any monitors and he took this as a good sign that he was going to be sticking around for a while. He slowly pivoted his head toward the voice to view Devon seated alone at a desk located next to the room's only window. In front of her were several neatly organized piles of paper along with, not one, but two small data pads which she seemed to be simultaneously working on. Devon turned her head slightly and John noticed the gearset embedded in her auburn hair and it was only then that he realized that she was in the middle of a meeting. Intrigued, he decided to sit back for a few moments and quietly watch her from the sidelines.

"This is a ridiculous argument, Elliot," she expressed in a tone that was all-business. "I couldn't care less about how large your penthouse was on the Stations. I don't think that I have to remind you that we're not on the Stations anymore and there is absolutely no justification for you to be building on an addition to your home."

She waited a moment to hear her caller's response before calmly stating, "The answer is obvious. The Frosts and the Rutherfords have bigger houses because they each have five family members. You only have three."

While she conversed with the disgruntled colonist, she continued to alternate between perusing through various documents and entering data into her computers. "No, that timber has already been earmarked for the new school," she pointed out.

"No, those trees are off-limits." After another brief pause, she shook her head. "You already know why. I've explained this a dozen times already. The Terrians have asked us not to go near that forest."

Although Devon's patience was quickly beginning to evaporate, her outward appearance remained unruffled. Her voice raised ever so slightly as she exclaimed, "They didn't give us a reason and I certainly saw no need to ask for one. I gave them my word that we would stay off of that land. And I will not break my promise to them."

She halted her other tasks in order to concentrate squarely on the latest problem at hand. "Yes, it is and allow me to remind you yet again that G889 was the Terrian's planet long before we got here. And it's because of their generosity that your daughter now has the opportunity to live a long and happy life. Let's not forget about that so quickly."

Devon's expression began to harden at the colonist's continued hostility. Finally, she offered in a crisp tone, "You want to live in a bigger house? Fine. See if you can find another family to agree to share a unit. You can combine your family members and then petition the Housing Committee to move into a larger home."

Judging by the long pause and the tightening of Devon's shoulders, Danziger easily concluded that the caller was less than pleased with her suggestion. Her voice remained stern yet amazingly polite under the circumstances as she relayed, "Well, it's as close to a compromise as you're going to get. So if I were you, I'd either start searching for another family who is willing to move in with you or learn to appreciate what you have and get on with your life."

Danziger was no longer able to stay quiet. But as much as a part of him yearned to spring out of his hospital bed and hunt down this Elliot person who was insisting on giving Devon such a hard time, an even larger part of him couldn't resist snickering at Devon's choice of words.

"Compromise?" he snorted in disbelief. "Since when have you ever compromised on anything, Adair?"

The sound of John's deep baritone caused Devon to noticeably jump in her chair and she spun her gaze toward him, staring at him with wide eyes. She quickly pulled herself together and returned her focus to her business meeting.

"I need to sign off now, Elliot," she informed him. She struck a few keys on the nearest computer and her daily appointment schedule appeared on the screen. "This evening, Cameron will be hosting a symposium on basic vegetable gardening. I'll be staying afterward if you'd like to continue this discussion then. But I really think that we've said all that we need to say on the subject."

After signing off with Elliot, Devon touched a few buttons on her gear's keypad located just above her ear. "Anna, please hold my calls until further notice. I'll be in touch soon," she instructed in a pleasant voice. "Thank you."

The leader swung the eyepiece away from her face, but didn't remove her gearset. She could feel John's intense stare as she crossed the room and seated herself on True's cot situated just a few feet from his sickbed. She folded her hands on her lap and tried not to appear as nervous as she felt. The idea of finally being able to see and speak with John Danziger was something that Devon had longed to do for over two years. But now that the moment had arrived, she was a bit overwhelmed. However, she was successfully able to mask her awkwardness and she greeted him with a thin smile.

"Good morning, Danziger."

John languidly stretched out his limbs and scooted himself up to a sitting position. "Mornin'."

He reached his hand around to feel the three inch scar forming at the base of his skull, also taking notice that he was clean-shaven and his hair had been neatly combed back. As he rubbed at his neck in discomfort, Devon proposed, "Would you like me to ask one of the nurses to give you a pain block?"

He shook his head as he lowered his hand back to his side. "Nah, it's not too bad," he said, his thoughts already centered on more important issues. "Where's True?"

Engaging in a conversation with John was still somewhat of a surreal experience for Devon and it took her a moment to remember the girl's whereabouts. "Bess took her and Uly to get some lunch," she was finally able to answer.

John took Devon's apprehension as a sign that something was wrong. "How's she doin'?" he asked, clearly worried. "I mean, is she alright?"

Devon's smile briefly reappeared. "She's doing great. She fell and broke her arm last year, but we had plenty of bone healer vaccine by then and she was back to normal by the next day," she relayed. "Other than that, she's been fine."

His eyes dropped to the floor and his voice went quiet. "Is she still pissed at me for leaving her like that?"

"No, not at all," Devon assured. "She knows that you did what you thought was right." She almost added in her own personal views on the price John had insisted on paying in order to save her life, but decided that that was a discussion for a different time. Or perhaps not.

Meanwhile, waves of remorse washed over Danziger as he remembered True's horrified expression and desperate voice as she'd tried to persuade him not to go through with the transplant. Her terrified pleas continually echoed in his head. _"Please, don't do this, Daddy! Don't leave me! Please!"_

Much to his chagrin, he had never been able to get her to understand his position. It was only after several other members of Eden Advance including Yale, Bess and Alonzo had taken her aside on the very morning of his surgery and had given her a good talking to that she had finally seemed to accept what had to be done.

John continued to look uncomfortable and his eyes remained glued to the ground. Although he was grateful to hear that his daughter didn't hate him for the choice he'd made, his guilty conscience weighed heavily on him. After all, True had also been forced to make a sacrifice by giving up the only parent that she'd ever known, possibly forever. It had been an impossible situation for everyone involved, but most especially for her. One day, he hoped that he would somehow be able to make it up to her. And maybe one day he'd be able to forgive himself for abandoning her.

His voice was still just above a whisper as he said, "Thanks for taking care of her while I was gone."

"It was my pleasure," Devon expressed, mirroring his tone.

After a few seconds of stillness, Danziger raised his eyes back to hers. "And Uly and the others? They're all doin' okay, too?"

She nodded. "Everyone in the group made it. We had a couple of very close calls, but we made it."

John breathed a sigh of relief. "Glad to hear it," he said with an expanding grin, elated that all of his friends were still alive.

He raked his fingers through his hair, messing it up in the process, while his eyes scanned the sterile, sparsely decorated hospital room. "So this is New Pacifica, huh?"

Devon averted her gaze toward the window. "In all its glory," she declared. Although Danziger wasn't sure, he thought that he detected a hint of cynicism in her tone.

He narrowed his eyes, confused by her response. "So, start filling me in on some of the stuff that I've missed," he requested, hoping that, if Devon was unhappy for some reason, the root of the problem could be found somewhere within the details of her explanation.

Devon sighed. There was so much information to tell him and she wasn't sure of where to begin her account. Finally, she decided to start with the basics. "Well, we got here a little over a year ago. Luckily, most of the cargo pods were waiting for us, so we started building immediately. The Jamestown arrived on schedule, but it was during the middle of winter. We worried that the cold weather would be too much of a shock to the colonists' systems, so we voted in favor of leaving the ship in orbit and having Baines reprogram their sleep capsules to delay their revival. This bought us some extra time to prepare. Plus, not only were we able to send teams to recheck the ship for sabotage, we were able to unload all of its supplies. By the time spring came, we were ready for them. Most of the colonists have been here for just over three months."

Danziger digested everything that she'd told him. And by doing a bit of quick math, he was able to definitively answer one of his most pressing questions. He had been in cold sleep for twenty-eight months. He mentally filed that revelation away for the time being, instead asking, "What about the Syndrome kids?"

There was another sigh. "It's been a tough road," she conceded. "At first, the parents were too afraid of the Terrians to trust them. But a few were finally persuaded to take the chance and, after the first twenty or so came back healthy, parents starting agreeing in droves. Some actually took their children to the caves and begged the Terrians to take them."

"And they're all healed now?"

Devon shook her head. "There are about two dozen parents who refuse to have any interaction with the Terrians, even at the expense of their own children." She swallowed hard before continuing. "We've already had two deaths so far, not including the woman who died on the colony ship due to a malfunction with her cryochamber. Dr. Vasquez has been working to develop an inhaler using synthetic drugs to help the remaining Syndrome children manage the disease. Our hope is that the medication will keep them alive long enough for us to talk some sense into their parents."

She intentionally neglected to mention Dr. Vasquez's very vocal resentment toward Devon after he'd learned that he had been replaced by his former intern, Julia Heller, as both the hospital's Chief Of Staff and as the personal physician to the Adair family. The doctor's lack of professional decorum was also clearly a discussion for a different time.

Danziger continued to inspect Devon closely as she recalled the highlights of the past two and a half years, trying to gauge how much she'd been changed by time and circumstance. At first glance, she seemed to be almost exactly the same, except for the deepening of the lines around her eyes and mouth. But when John looked more closely at her face and mannerisms, much to his chagrin, he realized that something was indeed different. Her overall demeanor was rather cool and controlled and her eyes lacked the sparkle which they'd once had. It was as if the tempestuous spitfire whose confidence and unflappable optimism used to drive him to the brink of madness had vanished. And in its place was a woman who was completely self-contained, polished and perfectly poised. In other words, she'd apparently evolved-- or regressed, in John's way of thinking-- into a politician. And there was something else that Danziger couldn't ignore.

"You look tired," he said bluntly, partly out of concern for her, partly to see if he could rile her up a bit. After all, in his mind, they had over two years of fighting to catch up on.

But instead of getting defensive about his comment, Devon shrugged and drifted her gaze back to the window. "There's a lot to be done," she said a bit too evenly for John's taste.

The mechanic decided to switch tactics, hoping to drag some emotion out of Devon and lighten the mood at the same time. "So, have you been takin' good care of my bio-chip?" he asked with a sideways grin.

His strategy worked, although it wasn't the emotion that he was expecting. Devon noticeably winced and her posturing went rigid. "Please don't joke about that," she replied, seemingly stunned by the question.

"Who's joking?" he smirked, undaunted by her reaction. "I wanna know if it changed you in any way. Like did you start craving spicy foods? Or did you suddenly know how to fix the Transrover when it broke down?"

Devon thought about it for a moment. "Some people have said that I've been difficult to get along with."

John let out a loud snort and theatrically rolled his eyes. "Oh yeah, like my chip had anything to do with _that_!"

At last, Devon's veneer cracked and she broke into quiet, but genuine, laughter. As a warmhearted smile crept across her face, John joined in with his own deep chuckles. After a few seconds of shared amusement, Danziger's grin began to fade.

"But you're alright now, aren't you? I mean, the implant made you better?" he asked.

Devon matched Danziger's serious expression. "Yes," she said in a hushed voice. It was the truth. Physically, she was completely cured of the virus that had come very close to ending her life. Of course, the state of her emotional recovery was another matter entirely. But, again, that was a discussion for a different time.

John continued, "And from what you've told me, this New Pacifica is a lot different from the one that the Terrians described to Alonzo after we put you in cold sleep. It sounds like we were able to change the future."

"So it would seem," she said softly.

Danziger gave her a confident nod. "Good. Then it was all worth it."

To John's surprise, Devon abruptly broke eye contact with him and began to shift uncomfortably in her seat. Her face twisted into an expression that bordered on melancholy and John was at a complete loss as to why. Everything had worked out in Devon's favor, hadn't it, he wondered to himself. She had been returned to good health and was back in charge. Eden Advance had made it to New Pacifica intact and had been prepared for the colony ship's arrival. Most of Syndrome children, including her son, were healed. Devon had gotten everything that she'd wanted. So, why did she suddenly look so troubled?

Danziger's brow furrowed in concern as he leaned forward in his bed. "Devon, is something wrong?"

The leader seemed unable to answer him. It was only after several uncomfortable moments had passed between them that she finally relocked her gaze onto John. But just as she opened her mouth to speak, Uly and True came bursting through the door, followed closely behind by Bess.

"Hey, you're awake again!" True said enthusiastically, running and leaping into her father's open arms. Both of them were pleased that John now had enough strength to return her embrace.

John's smile came back in full force. "Hey there, Kiddo," he welcomed, kissing the top of her head. He closed his eyes and held her tightly for several moments before finally loosening his grip. "Back up a little bit, so I can get a better look at you."

Danziger was filled with pride as he marveled at the changes in his daughter. She had grown at least two inches in height and her overall features had matured, making her resemble a teenager much more than the little girl he'd remembered. Moreover, her hair was several inches longer and had taken on a blonder tone, no doubt due to a mixture of genetics and her love of the outdoors. With each year that passes, True looks more and more like her mother, Danziger proudly reflected.

"Do you want us to get you some food?" True asked.

"Yeah, you haven't eaten in over two years," a very excited Uly chimed in as he hopped onto the foot of the bed. "You must be starving!"

Danziger chuckled and reached over to roughly tussle Uly's hair. He was pleased to notice that the little boy had also grown several inches and, thankfully, had gained several pounds. In fact, when combined with his suntanned skin and boundless energy, there was really no hint at all that Uly had spent the majority of his life in an immuno-suit.

On the down side, Danziger also took note that, in stark contrast to the children's healthy complexions, Devon's skin was a ghostly pale. Danziger wondered to himself if circumstances had prevented Devon from ever getting to enjoy the summer sun or if perhaps she'd been given ample opportunities, yet chose to work instead. John wasn't sure of the answer, but he certainly wasn't fond of either prospect.

He turned to address Devon, but she had already quietly vacated her spot on True's bunk and was hastily packing up her paperwork and computer equipment at the desk.

"You're leaving?" he asked in bewilderment, giving her a double take.

Devon secured the lock on her briefcase and began to head toward the door. "Yes, unfortunately I have to. I'm already behind schedule as it is," she said, her voice rather distant. "But I'll make sure to check on you later to see how you're doing."

Before John could be given the chance to protest her departure, Devon brushed past Bess who had remained standing in the doorway and disappeared down the corridor.

Danziger's puzzled expression met Bess' sympathetic one. "She stays very busy," she explained, trying to sound as cheerful as possible. "But I'm sure that you'll see her again real soon."

The Earth-res took Devon's place on True's cot. "It's the same with Morgan. Ever since Devon made him the Deputy Administrative Director of New Pacifica, he works almost all the time." She paused to amend her statement. "Well, not as much as Devon, of course," she clarified. "But he works a lot."

John visibly flinched and his brow creased. Morgan Martin had been promoted to Devon's second in command? Hadn't that been _his_ job?

It was obvious to Bess and the children that John was growing increasingly upset, so Bess thought that hearing some good news might have a calming effect on him. "You know, True and I spoke with Julia this morning," she relayed in a kind, soothing tone. "She said that there's really nothing wrong with you except that you're still weak from the surgeries. And now that you're awake, I bet that you'll be discharged by this afternoon. You'll be able to finish your recovery at home."

Bess' plan failed miserably as Danziger's agitation and confusion went into overdrive. "Home?" he exclaimed, blinking several times. "Where in the hell is that supposed to be?"

* * *

Devon didn't look back as she left Danziger's room. Instead, she moved at a rapid pace as she marched out of the hospital and returned to the administration building which was located directly across the street. After briefly stopping at Morgan's office to remind him that his presence was mandatory at Cameron's symposium that evening and to also fill him in on Elliot's newest complaint, she headed down the hallway toward her office. She was relieved to see that, for one of the few times in recent memory, the chairs in the reception area were not occupied by colonists waiting to voice their various displeasures about the quality of life on G889. Although most of planet's newest occupants were grateful for the second chance they'd been given, there was a small, but vocal minority who refused to play by the rules. And Devon was quickly learning the hard way that, if you gave them an inch, they'd try to take a hectare.

Upon reaching her assistant's desk situated just outside of her office, Devon left instructions to continue to hold her calls until she was told otherwise. As Anna nodded her understanding, the leader entered her office and closed the door behind her. She then punched a complex sequence of numbers into the door's keycode which triggered a deadbolt sliding out to lock it securely, assuring that she would not be disturbed.

Devon moved much slower now as she coasted across the room to her desk, setting down her briefcase at her feet as she slipped into her chair. After a few seconds of deep contemplation, she reached down to unfasten the clasp of a tiny cloth pouch which was attached to her belt and carefully removed its sole content. She again hesitated before placing the silver, capsule-shaped chip into her gearset. She exhaled a shuddering breath as she rotated the eyepiece around and touched a few buttons to activate the equipment.

"I-I know that it must seem strange for me to be here, especially today of all days," Devon said, her voice little more than a shaky whisper. She set her elbows on the desk and her head sank defeatedly into her hands. "But I really need to talk to someone..."


	3. Chapter 3

CHAPTER THREE:

The only thing that Danziger hated more than feeling weak was looking weak to those around him. He had eventually calmed down after being assured that his housing situation had been well taken care of and he seemed complacent with spending precious time with his daughter. Of course, True hadn't left his side all day, doting on him relentlessly as both she and Uly continued to chat up a storm, telling him details about their lives now, including their school and of all of the new friends that they'd made. Julia had kept her word and had discharged John from the hospital that very afternoon but, much to his dismay, he'd required the use of a wheelchair which True and Uly were more than happy to commandeer. The children acted as if it was a game as they took turns pushing the elder Danziger through the hallways and out to Alonzo and the Dunerail waiting at the building's entrance. After the pilot had assisted John into the passenger side of the vehicle, he took the driver's seat and the kids piled into the back and they were finally off to John's new home.

As they drove through New Pacifica's busy streets, many colonists gave them a friendly wave while several others stopped and gawked. Danziger hardly noticed any of this because he was too busy being dumbstruck by all of the things that had been accomplished during his absence. What a difference a couple of years makes, he thought to himself as two ATVs whizzed by traveling in the opposite direction. It was all rather strange to him. After all, he'd gone to sleep in the middle of a desert over a thousand miles away only to wake up in a finished community filled with houses, vehicles and lots and lots of strangers.

He also found all of the noise generated by the town to be rather daunting. Maybe the Stations had been this loud, too, he speculated, though he'd certainly never noticed it before. To his surprise, he suddenly felt an appreciation for the more subdued time that he'd spent living with the members of Eden Advance. Sure, it had been a dangerous existence, but it had also been a helluva lot quieter.

He tuned out all of the activity going on around him and concentrated on listening to his daughter as she continued to talk his ear off. At the moment, she was bursting with enthusiasm as she relayed that Uly and some of the other cured Syndrome children had begun to teach her the Terrian language. He wasn't exactly sure how to react to this news but, she seemed to be so happy about it, he figured that he couldn't really take issue with the decision. At least for now.

His thoughts were interrupted by the realization that Alonzo had driven them outside of the town's limits.

"How far away is this place?" Danziger asked with a wrinkled brow.

"We're almost there," Solace replied as the colony's main thoroughfare changed into a slender, obviously much less traveled dirt pathway that was outlined with large, lush trees.

John watched silently as the vehicle began to pass several modest-looking, single level homes which were sporadically arranged along the left side of the road. What distinguished them from the houses in town was that they were constructed of wood instead of the prefabricated materials which had been brought from the Stations.

"This is where everybody in Eden Advance lives," Uly chirped. "That's Bess and Morgan's house over there," he added, pointing to a small home with a beautifully landscaped yard filled with colorful, flowering bushes. After hearing the explanation, John guessed that the group had chosen to build wooden houses for themselves in order to save as many of the supplies as possible for the colonists.

As they continued onward, Danziger's senses began to pick up an unusual, but oddly familiar odor. He turned toward his right and squinted in an attempt to make out the scenery beyond the thick patch of trees. And although he didn't outwardly show it, he was absolutely thrilled to discover that just past the forest was a large stretch of beach and that the source of the smell was the salty scent of the West coast ocean.

True was still practically jumping out of her skin with excitement. "You're gonna love our house, Dad! You won't believe how big it is! We each have our own rooms! And its got two bathrooms! With hot water and everything!"

John rotated his head to face the back seat. "We don't need two bathrooms, Honey," he said, employing a pragmatic tone.

"Well, they're not just for us," True responded just as matter-of-factly.

"Yeah, Mom and I live there, too," Uly chimed in.

As soon as the words left Uly's mouth, the Dunerail eased to a halt as it came upon the last house on the street. There was nothing special about it other than that it was the only two level unit built in that section of New Pacifica and that it had a covered porch which extended along the entire front of the structure.

"Welcome to Chez Adair," Alonzo tried to say with a straight face. "Or should I say Chez Adair and Danziger?"

The kids jumped out and bounded up the flower-lined walkway to greet Yale who had been waiting for them on the porch's wooden swing. This also gave John some much needed time to collect his jaw which seemed to have taken up permanent residence on the 'Rail's floorboard.

"What's going on?" John was finally able to ask as Yale approached the vehicle. "There's no way in hell that Devon wants me livin' under the same roof as her."

The tutor broke into a warm smile. "On the contrary. This unit was specifically built to house four people," he assured. "And you, John, are the fourth person."

Danziger continued to wear a deer-caught-in-the-headlights expression as he was helped out of the Dunerail. His continued weakness made it impossible for him to walk on his own and it was necessary for Alonzo and Yale to more or less carry him into the house. As they passed through the living room and began to slowly ascend the staircase, John caught a glimpse of the simple, but fully-equipped kitchen and dining area located off to the side. The second level sported four nicely sized bedrooms, along with one of the two aforementioned bathrooms. Although the interior was rather plain looking, there were several hints of a woman's influence such as the floral patterned tapestries adorning the windows and the multitude of holostills of friends and family members decorating the rooms.

"This has gotta be some sort of a mix-up," Danziger kept insisting over and over again as they entered his bedroom and carefully deposited him into the king-sized bed which, unbeknownst to him, had been customized to accommodate his burly frame. He also had no idea that his few personal possessions had been unpacked and placed in the nearby closet and in the large, wooden dresser situated on the opposite side of the room.

Yale exchanged a knowing look with the others in the room. "Why don't you let me speak to John alone for a few minutes," he suggested.

Alonzo nodded his agreement before giving Danziger a friendly smack on the arm. "Get some sleep, Pal," he said with a chuckle. "Julia and I only live two doors down and we're gonna come by later to see how you're holdin' up."

Uly waved from the doorway as True brushed her father's stray curls out of the way in order for her to give him a light peck on the cheek. "I'm gonna be right downstairs, so just yell if you need anything. Please rest, okay, Daddy?"

Danziger's confusion was momentarily forgotten as he leaned up to lovingly kiss her forehead. "Anything you say, Sport," he replied, giving her hand a gentle squeeze before breaking contact.

Once Solace and the children exited, leaving only Yale in the room, John shook his head in disbelief.

"Yale, I'm tellin' you this is a mistake."

"It's no mistake," the cyborg said as he grabbed a chair which had been set against an adjacent wall and placed it next to the mechanic's bed. "You have to understand, John, that True has been living with Devon and Uly since we placed you in cold sleep," he explained in a fatherly voice. "Over the past two and a half years, they have become very close. Devon knew that she could never replace you as a parent, nor would she ever try to. But she has raised True as if she was a member of her family. She saw no reason to change things when we reached New Pacifica. And Devon knew that, if we were able to revive you, at the very least, you would need a place to recuperate. Building a house for the four of you seemed like the obvious choice to make."

He furthered, "I also think that Devon is hoping that you'll decide to stay here permanently. She and Uly have become quite attached to True and vice versa. Splitting them up could have a detrimental effect on all of them."

Danziger scoffed. "So because True and me are a package deal, Devon has generously offered to tolerate my presence," he spat, his tone thick with cynicism. "I feel better already."

Yale took a deep breath. "I know that you don't believe this, but Devon does want you here, and not only because of True. Though she might not know how to show it, she has missed you very much. "

Danziger remained less than convinced. "You didn't see her at the hospital this morning," he expressed gruffly, trying his best not to sound as wounded as he'd felt. "I don't understand it, Yale. I know that Devon and I didn't exactly get along those first few months after the crash. But towards the end there, those last few weeks before she got sick, we were finally working out some of our differences with one another. I sorta thought that we were becoming pretty good friends."

John looked away and exhaled a sigh. "But you'd never know that from her behavior today. The woman acted like we barely knew each other. She couldn't wait to get away from me. She's... different from what I remember," he said, his voice now tinged with sadness.

Yale nodded somberly. "Yes, she has changed," he acknowledged, his tone mirroring John's. "The Terrians foretold us that the success of New Pacifica-- the success of humanity on G889-- rests upon her shoulders and her shoulders alone. That is a lot for any person to deal with, even Devon Adair." His expression grew even more crestfallen. "After we left you behind, she began to isolate herself from the rest of the group, even Uly and True to a degree. It has only worsened since The Jamestown arrived."

The tutor paused, unsure about whether or not to share a particular observation he'd made regarding his former charge. He decided to proceed, speaking very slowly in order to carefully choose his words. "I think that, on a certain level, Devon harbors some resentment toward the colonists. She blames them."

Danziger's gaze swung back to Yale and his eyes narrowed in confusion. "Blames them for what?"

"As you are well aware, in the original future, the colony failed because of their inability to work with you and the other members of Eden Advance. They had also refused to co-exist with the Terrians. They ended up rejecting the planet and, in turn, the planet rejected them, and us. The colonists were the reason that we had to heal Devon and restore her to leadership in time for their arrival," Yale divulged. "In her mind, it is their fault that we were forced to sacrifice your life in order to save hers."

He hesitated, briefly concerned that he might be overstepping his bounds by giving away too much of what he had presumed to be Devon's private thoughts. However, deep down, he knew that it was important that John heard what he had to say. He continued, "Though she has never said it out loud, I know that Devon often feels overwhelmed. She has thrown herself into her work and has insisted on being involved in every decision having to do with the colony. But she's not sure if she should be negotiating with the colonists or ruling over them with an iron fist. And she is terrified of making a wrong choice and accidentally putting us back on the original path toward ultimate destruction."

He leaned forward in his chair to drive his point home. "I guess that what I am trying to say is that having you live here will be good for Devon. Right now, she needs your support. And even more than that, she needs your friendship."

John remained stonefaced throughout most of the conversation as well as for many seconds afterward as he silently absorbed Yale's words. Finally, he swallowed hard and exhaled the breath that he didn't realize that he'd been holding.

"Okay," he quietly stated with a resolute nod of his head. "Thanks for telling me this."

Although there was much more that Danziger needed to be brought up to speed on, Yale knew that it should wait. At the moment, Danziger's concentration needed to be centered on regaining his health as opposed to worrying about Devon's welfare. There would be plenty of time for that later.

Yale stood and gently reset the chair back against the wall. "Devon is scheduled to work late, so True and Uly will be having dinner at my house this evening. I'll have them bring back a plate of food for you. In the meantime, please get some sleep."

He pulled the curtains to a close in order to block out the light on his way out the door. As he stepped into the hallway, he stopped and turned back toward the bedroom. A thoughtful smile formed on his lips. "I'm very glad that you are back, John," he said earnestly.

Danziger was clearly still processing what he'd been told and did not return Yale's grin. "Me, too," he replied, his expression serious.

After Yale left, John gathered his strength and leaned forward to remove his shoes before gracelessly flopping back to the laying position. He let out another deep sigh. As strong and sharp as his mind may have felt, his body was completely depleted of energy and the darkness in the room only served to fuel his fatigued state. He wearily turned his head to notice that a framed holostill of True had been set on the nightstand directly beside his bed.

Danziger's gaze remained on his daughter's image until his eyes fell shut. He slept through the rest of the night, too exhausted to eat his promised supper or to entertain a visit from Julia and Alonzo. If Devon had indeed kept her word to check on him, he'd slept through that as well.

* * *


	4. Chapter 4

CHAPTER FOUR:

Danziger was determined to get back on his feet and resume his life as quickly as possible. His health continued to rebound at a brisk pace and, in only two days, he was able to venture downstairs and finally tour the rest of his new house. By the week's end, he'd regained enough of his strength to walk next door to visit Yale's home. Soon afterward, he was stopping by all of the houses lining the dirt road, catching up with the members of Eden Advance one by one.

As happy as John was to talk to them, he also found it a bit difficult. It certainly wasn't their fault. They couldn't have been nicer to him and everyone had welcomed him back into the fold with open arms. It just took some adjustment on his part. On the positive side, many of the perils that they had experienced during the first five months of their journey such as the lack of food, shelter and clothing were no longer issues. Gone was the Nomadic lifestyle of traveling every day, sleeping under the stars and carrying everything they'd owned in the few dufflebags which had weathered the crash. And, over time, the group had not only survived and adapted to their surroundings, they had become a close-knit family with an unbreakable bond.

However, this posed a slight problem for Danziger. While their lives had continued onward, his had remained literally frozen in place. Memories that were fresh to him were over two years old to everyone else. And although many of the Edenites such as Bess, Alonzo and Cameron seemed to be almost exactly the same as John had remembered them, a few of the others had changed. Magus and Walman, in particular, had become lovers and were now sharing the same living quarters. The couple had also taken on a good deal of responsibility by jointly running the Engineering Department and heading up the Construction Committee. Morgan, too, seemed to be much more centered than before, though as far as Danziger was concerned, the bureaucrat still had a long way to go before he'd ever trust him with anything important in his life.

All in all, after everything that the group had endured, John was pleased to find that they seemed to be genuinely happy with the lives that they'd made in New Pacifica. Of course, nothing was perfect and there were a few problems such as their occasional mistreatment by some of the town's snootier residents. And, whenever John had asked about Devon, the Edenites had very little information to share beyond what Yale had already told him. All of them continued to remain steadfastly loyal to Devon and they always would, yet every one of them also admitted that, over the past few years, they'd felt emotionally cut off from her, just the same.

Danziger was also feeling a bit cut off, and not just from Devon who he'd barely seen or spoken to since his resurrection. Not only had the mechanic been replaced as Devon's right-hand man, he no longer held a job of any kind. There wasn't even anything around the house that needed to be fixed. With nothing to occupy his time, the days crept by at an agonizing pace. He needed to contribute in some way besides helping the children with their homework. Therefore, he figured that it was high-time that he took a trip into New Pacifica to see if he could finally become gainfully employed. Lacking a vehicle, he asked Yale if he could borrow his Dunerail for the morning. Yale responded that, by chance, he was also on his way into town and graciously offered to take him along for the ride. And, in yet another coincidence, both men were planning to visit the very same place.

As they pulled up to the administration building, Danziger took a good look around him and realized that he stuck out like a sore thumb. Overall, he had to admit that, in comparison with the more recent inhabitants of G889, he looked rather disheveled. His face displayed several days worth of beard growth and his hair was a tangled muss of dirty blond curls. And, although several kindhearted people had generously donated a few newer items of clothing for him to wear (after which Bess had altered to fit his larger size), he'd opted in favor of a faded and oft-patched shirt and trousers that he'd owned before he'd been placed in cold-sleep. It wasn't as if he was unappreciative of the colonist's gifts. He'd just simply felt more comfortable wearing the older clothes.

Despite the unusual looks that he was receiving from some of the passers-by, Danziger exited the vehicle and entered the building with his head held high. He'd never really cared about his appearance before and he certainly wasn't about to start now. The only thing that did bother him a bit was the fact that he lacked his trusty tool belt around his waist. He'd almost decided to wear it, but had ended up nixing the idea when he couldn't justify a single reason to bring it with him. He hoped that this would change soon after Devon had assigned him a job. Even if it meant that he would be returned to his former Drone status performing nothing more than menial tasks, at least he'd finally have something to do.

Danziger followed Yale up the stairwell to the second floor and then down the corridor which ended at the Executive Administration office. Once there, they were warmly greeted by Devon's receptionist, a woman in her mid-fifties with cocoa brown eyes and shoulder length dark hair which was generously interspersed with silver strands. Although she was pleasant to look at, her features somehow conveyed both kindness and toughness at the same time. She didn't look as though she was willing to put up with any nonsense whatsoever. Danziger liked her immediately.

"May I present to you, Ms. Anna Lancaster," Yale said as he traded smiles with the woman. He went on to explain, "Anna's grandson was born with the Syndrome and she was the very first person to agree to the Terrian cure. We owe her a debt of gratitude."

"On the contrary," Anna was quick to respond. "I'm the one who owes Devon and the Terrians. If it wasn't for them, Jacob would have never lived to see his ninth birthday."

John noticed that, as Anna was shaking his offered hand, she was making a point of looking him up and down and there was a curious expression evident on her face.

His head cocked back a bit. "Is something wrong?" he asked, suddenly feeling rather uncomfortable.

"Not at all," she replied with a shrug of her shoulders. "I guess I just thought that you'd be taller."

Danziger pulled his hand back wearing a look of mild shock. Clearly, that was a comment he'd never heard before.

His reaction caused both Anna and Yale to break into a small chuckle. "I'm just kidding, Mr. Danziger," she said, giving him a wink. "Braeden and the others have told me all about you. It's wonderful to finally be able to attach a face to the name that I've heard so often."

It took John a moment to process who Braeden was, but after observing the affectionate looks passing between Yale and Anna, it became obvious that the cyborg had at last been able to come to terms with his past. And it also looked as though he'd also found himself some female companionship in the process. This day is just full of surprises, Danziger thought to himself.

"Is Devon in a meeting?" Yale inquired, still grinning.

Anna's smile faded slightly. "If you want to call it that," she exclaimed, rolling her eyes as she motioned behind her toward the closed office door. "Oscar Taggert is in there for his daily complaint session. As usual, he didn't have an appointment, so feel free to interrupt them." She pivoted her head to Danziger. "I'm sure Devon won't mind in the least."

John took two large strides toward Devon's office, but paused when he realized that Yale hadn't moved from his spot next to Anna's desk.

"Aren't you coming?"

The tutor shook his head. "I'm sure that you can handle this alone," he stated. His smile reappeared as he turned back to face an already beaming Anna. "Besides, it would seem that Ms. Lancaster and I have some dinner plans to discuss."

* * *

Danziger had barely turned the knob when a deep, slithery voice declared, "Well, look who's here."

The mechanic remained in the doorway and traded leers with Oscar Taggert. The man was roughly the same age as John, but that was where the similarities between the two ended. He was several inches shorter than Danziger with straight, jet black hair that was neatly tied into a ponytail. He was impeccably dressed in a dark suit and there was even a glossy shine to his shoes. His arms were smugly folded across his chest and he wore a patronizing expression that John suspected was permanently etched into his features. In fact, Taggert's nose was stuck so far up in the air that Danziger wondered how he managed to avoid drowning whenever it rained.

He turned his attention toward Devon who was seated at her desk. She had remained cool and collected with the exception of the alarmed look that had flashed across her face when John had first arrived. "Danziger," she said. "Oscar and I are in the middle of something right now. I'd appreciate it if you would wait out in the reception area for a few minutes until we're done." Devon had meant to sound as composed as her outward appearance, but her true emotions had belied her and her tone came across as strained. And by the look on John's face, there was little doubt that he'd picked up on it.

The air was thick with tension while Danziger volleyed his eyes back and forth between the two, silently sizing up the situation.

Finally, he took a step into the room and closed the door behind him. "I think I'd rather stay," he said with a nod.

Taggert loudly scoffed to show his disdain, causing John to swerve his own disapproving gaze to focus squarely on the colonist. Because of this, neither of them noticed yet another flash of anxiety briefly displayed on Devon's features. As for Taggert, he was completely unfazed by Danziger's glare and, if anything, it only served as inspiration for him to turn his rude behavior up a notch.

He broke his staring contest with the mechanic and turned his entire body to address Devon, making sure that his back was facing Danziger. "So, where were we, Devon?" he said in a voice that somehow managed to be cold-blooded and pretentious at the same time. "Oh yes, now I remember. You run this place like it's a dictatorship. It's bad enough that you forbid anyone from returning home on the colony ship. But then you demoted Vasquez and the other specialists that you brought from the Stations and replaced them with a group of inexperienced Yes Men like Julia Heller and Morgan Martin. You've outlawed dozens of items including geolocks. You had the audacity to give away all of the best land to the hired help before we even got here. And then you added insult to injury by forcing the rest of us to live in substandard housing units like we're prisoners."

Devon sat stonefaced throughout the tirade. She'd already heard this speech or similar versions of it dozens of times before and she'd long ago given up defending her viewpoint. It was obvious to her that Taggert had no interest in hearing her response or would be willing to work together to come to any sort of an understanding. In Devon's mind, Taggert would be perfectly satisfied with ranting to an empty room, just as long as he had the benefit of hearing himself talk.

Meanwhile, Taggert blustered onward. "That's what G889 is. It's a prison. We're assigned work details, whether we want them or not. And if we're unhappy, we have to submit a petition to be voted on by a committee filled with more of your Yes Men." He waved his hands skyward in exasperation. "You've even restricted us from traveling any more than ten kilometers beyond New Pacifica's borders."

"Because it's too dangerous," Devon interjected, still remaining amazingly even-tempered. "There are penal colonists, ZEDs, Kobas and other life forms that you've never seen before."

"So you say," he sneered. "We have nothing but your word that they exist."

His eyes narrowed. "When will you admit that you completely misrepresented yourself and The Eden Project? This is a clear-cut case of fraud. In fact, if you'd bothered to set up any type of a court system in New Pacifica, I'd be inclined to sue you. And I bet that I could build a hell of a criminal case against you as well." He straightened his posture and pulled down on his suit jacket when he realized that it was in danger of becoming wrinkled. "Face it, Devon. You're no better than a common con-artist."

John was infuriated by Taggert's remarks. He was also befuddled as to why Devon was continuing to sit there and accept his abuse instead of sticking up for herself. But regardless of her motivations, Danziger knew that he could no longer stay quiet.

"You know what? You gotta lot of nerve talkin' to her like that," he exclaimed. "That woman over there is the reason that we all have a second chance. It's because of her that our kids can grow up breathing fresh air and have a life that we'd never dreamed was possible."

Taggert swerved to face the mechanic and spat, "And what kind of life is that, Mr. Danziger? With Devon's help, the Terrians have turned hundreds of children into mutants." He shook his head, wearing a look of complete revulsion. "Kids popping in and out of the ground, speaking a bunch of gibberish to each other that no one can understand, worshipping piles of dirt and calling it their Mother. Yesterday, Jeb Astor's daughter showed up at the house carrying a staff that shot some kind of lightning beam. She almost set the living room on fire."

Devon's voice cut in, "Oscar has failed to mention that his son has The Syndrome and he has continually refused to allow the Terrians to cure him."

Now it was Danziger's turn to look repulsed. "How can you do that to your kid?" he asked with a creased brow. "Don't you want him to have a normal, healthy life?"

"Those kids aren't healthy. And they certainly aren't normal," Taggert proclaimed bitterly. "I'd rather see Max dead than have him end up as one of those freaks of nature."

"If you don't change your mind soon, you'll probably get your wish," Devon said as she rose to her feet and rounded her desk to stand next to the colonist. "Please, Oscar, I'm begging you to reconsider," she implored, her tone suddenly filled with emotion. "Whatever you may think of me, put that aside and think about what's best for your child. Please let the Terrians help him."

Taggert's eyes fell to the floor and his face displayed both anguish and heartbreak as he obviously considered the graveness of his son's condition. And for a few fleeting seconds, Devon harbored a glimmer of hope that her pleas had finally gotten through to him. But then Taggert's features rehardened and he crossed his arms in defiance, letting Devon know that yet another battle had been lost.

Taggert's words may have been directed at Devon, but his sights were set on the mechanic. "So, has anyone bothered to tell Mr. Danziger here just how lucky he is?" he said glibly, his condescension back in full force. "I mean, after all, what were the chances of him needing a bio-stat chip and one just happening to become available?"

His voice took on a ruthless tone. "Of course, it was still in my wife at the time, but you took care of that, didn't you, Devon? Yes, Mr. Danziger was very fortunate to have you looking out for him. Very fortunate, indeed."

Devon was visibly unsettled, not just because of the newest path of the conversation, but because John was there to witness it. Why couldn't he have listened to her and waited out in the reception area like she'd asked?

She took a deep breath. "We've been through this many times, Oscar," she said as calmly as possible. "Cryogenics is far from a perfect science and everyone, including your family, knew the risks of being placed in cold-sleep for that long a period of time." She let out a dispirited sigh. "That being said, I am truly sorry for your loss."

Taggert's eyes were still centered on Danziger, not wanting to miss his reaction to anything that was said. "Your deeply heartfelt sympathies are just as touching as ever, Devon," he jeered. "But let's not forget that my loss was your-- or should I say Mr. Danziger's-- gain, wasn't it?"

His tone became venomous. "Did you all celebrate when you found Victoria dead in her cryotube, hmm? How long did you wait before you cut up her cadaver into little pieces, taking what you wanted and then tossing away the rest like she was garbage?"

He turned toward Devon. "To you, she was nothing more than a means to an end, a piece of meat for you to butcher in order to raise your low-class boytoy from the dead. Did you honestly think that my dearly departed wife would have ever agreed to be a doner for a Drone? And even if she had, you must have known that I would never have permitted such a thing, which I can only assume was the reason why I was never consulted in the matter."

Devon looked as though she was going to be physically ill. "You're disgusting."

"I am what you made me, Devon. A widower raising a dying son," he retorted.

John could see how much Devon was shaken up by the exchange. And, truth be told, John was plenty disturbed by it as well. Until then, he'd never really given much thought as to where his implant had come from. Frankly, he'd just assumed that one had been manufactured from spare parts found on the Jamestown. Putting a human face on it and hearing about the tragedy which had led to his eventual cure suddenly made him feel more than a little sick to his stomach. But sending his discomfort level into overdrive was Taggert's outrageous allegations that Devon and the others had acted callously on his behalf or, even worse, had somehow had a part in facilitating Taggert's wife's death in order to bring him back. Enough was enough.

Danziger took a large pace forward to loom over the colonist. "This meeting's over, Taggert. Time for you to leave," he declared in a low growl.

The smaller man wasn't intimidated in the least and had no problem flaunting it. Although he was technically looking up to Danziger, Taggert still managed to let everyone in the room know that he was looking down on him at the same time.

"I must say that I'm impressed, Mr. Danziger," he said dryly. "May I call you John?"

"No," Danziger answered just as dryly.

Not only did Taggert not flinch, his mouth twisted itself into a perfectly manufactured smile. "Well, Mr. Danziger, as I was saying. I'm quite impressed at what you've managed to accomplish in the short time that you've been on this planet, particularly for a man of your-- how should I put it-- humble background."

He cast a long, brazen look in Devon's direction before returning his eyes to John. "You must feel like you've hit the lottery."

Danziger took the another imposing stride forward to further disrupt Taggert's personal space. "I'm pretty damn close to hitting somethin'," he stated icily.

Taggert was unaffected by the thinly veiled threat and made no attempt to move from his spot. He did, however, turn his head to the side slightly toward Devon.

"You might want to think about putting a leash on your new pet," he told her, almost off-handedly.

"Get out," she replied in a guttural voice.

John didn't waste any time and leaned in until he and Oscar were nose to nose. "Out," he snarled through clenched teeth. "Now."

Taggert was certain to wait a few moments before finally taking two steps backward. He returned his attention to his jacket, restraightening it and fussily flicking away a small piece of lint that had become attached to the fabric. He rotated to Devon, his expression and voice echoing the contempt he felt for the both of them.

"Enjoy your power, Devon, because it isn't going to last forever. You've already made some pretty foolish mistakes." He paused and let out an unamused laugh. "And choosing to shack up with your Drone lover hasn't exactly won you any new friends either."

After observing the look of shock that flashed across Danziger's face at his words, Taggert turned his attention back to Devon, unable to resist adding one last taunt as he sauntered toward the exit. "One day, this house of cards that you've built for yourself is going to crash to the ground," he said as he swung open the door. "And when it falls, I can assure you that I won't be the only person taking great pleasure in it."

Thoroughly pleased with himself and not wanting to ruin the moment by waiting for Devon or Danziger to reply, Taggert gave them a final, triumphant nod and breezed out of the office. Yale and Anna both wore surprised expressions as Oscar passed by them. Yale hadn't been sure about what the outcome would be by sending John in to see Devon and Taggert by himself. Ideally, he had hoped that Danziger would have made verbal mincemeat of Taggert and that the man would have slinked away with his tail firmly positioned between his legs. But, judging by Taggert's unyielding appearance, that obviously hadn't happened. Oh well, Yale thought, at least John has now seen first-hand some of the problems that Devon is forced to deal with on a day to day basis.

Danziger shook his head and traded an indescribable look with Yale before reshutting the door and turning back to Devon. He knew that the last thing she needed right now was to feel ganged up on, so he tried his best to hide his aggravation.

"Why did you let Taggert talk to you like that?"

Devon reseated herself behind her desk and tried to look interested in a stack of pending contracts in front of her. "He's grief-stricken," she answered plainly.

John made his way back to Devon's side of the room and sat down in one of the two chairs facing her work station. "He's a slimeball. I'm very sorry about his wife, but, obviously, you had nothing to do with her death. And it certainly doesn't give him the right to treat you that way," he declared, amazed that Devon could dismiss Taggert's accusations so easily. What the hell was wrong with this woman?

She exhaled an exhausted sigh and remet his gaze. "What do you want, Danziger?" she said, more harshly than she'd intended.

John paused as he considered his response. _I want things to be the way that they used to be between us. I want to be your friend, again. I want you to trust me and accept me as an equal like before. I want you to let me into your life like you were starting to do before we were separated from each other. And, most of all, I want you to stop treating me like a virtual stranger and shanking talk to me, goddammit!_

"I want a job," Danziger ended up saying, realizing that now probably wasn't the best time to corner her on where they stood with one another.

Devon blinked several times. "That's not a good idea."

Danziger arched backwards in surprise. "Why not?"

"You're still recovering from your surgery. Right now, you should be relaxing and concentrating on getting your strength back."

Danziger would have been encouraged by her words of concern, had they not been delivered in such a stiff tone. "My strength _is_ back. Most of it anyway," he insisted. Not that you would have noticed this since you've been avoiding me like I have a contagious disease, he added in his mind.

Devon remained less than receptive to his suggestion, prompting John to add, "C'mon, Adair, idle hands are the devil's workshop." He surged forward in his chair. "There's gotta be something for me to do around here. Stick me in the Engineering Department or let me work in one of the biospheres. Or send me on some scouting missions. Hell, I'll even help the Diggers, if you want."

Devon gave him an odd look, not just because he'd just expressed a willingness to work with the Terrians, but because she hadn't heard the creatures referred to as 'Diggers' for several years. John had been the only person who had used that derogatory term. She disliked the word just as much now as she did back then.

John was undeterred by her peculiar expression. "I'll tell you what. Yale told me that there's a cafeteria right down the street. Why don't we head over there and discuss this over lunch," he suggested. And, although he didn't dare say it, he'd also hoped that, once they'd started talking and she felt more comfortable, he'd finally be able to broach a few other subjects and get some much-needed answers to his questions as well. He only possessed so much patience and he was already well beyond his limit.

"I don't take a meal break," she replied, shaking her head.

"Fine. Then, I'll go grab us a quick bite to eat, and we can talk this out right here."

Devon broke eye contact and reburied her head in her paperwork. "I'm really busy right now."

Normally, Danziger would have been discouraged by Devon's brush-off. But, as he examined her slender frame, there was a different issue that became more concerning to him. His eyes narrowed and he slanted his head to get a better look at her.

"When's the last time you ate something?" he asked, his voice taking on a caring, fatherly tone, almost as if he was talking to True.

Devon raised her eyes back to him, caught off-guard by the question. "I, uh-" she stammered, struggling to answer.

"Well, if you can't remember, then it's been too long," the mechanic proclaimed with a self-assured nod. He slapped both of his hands on his thighs and sprang to his feet. "I'll be back in a few minutes with-"

His words were interrupted by the sound of the door opening behind him. He craned his neck around to view Anna and Yale standing in the threshold, both of them displaying expressions of sorrow.

Devon stood up and braced herself. "What's happened?"

Anna swallowed hard. "Dr. Heller just called. Sarah Van Horten passed away a few minutes ago."

Devon bowed her head and closed her eyes as she took in the news of yet another senseless loss of a Syndrome child. After a few moments, she let out a shuddering breath and straightened back up. "Call Julia back and tell her that I'm on my way. Then cancel my appointments for the rest of the afternoon."

"I'll go with you," John offered as Devon passed by him on her way out of the office.

"So will I," Yale chimed in.

She didn't slow her pace as she headed for the corridor. "No," she said, her voice faltering a bit. "I have to do this alone."

Even after Devon had disappeared down the stairwell at the end of the hallway, John, Yale and Anna continued to stare after her, a complex mixture of emotions written on their faces. As much as they wanted to follow Devon, the trio silently agreed with one another that they would respect her wishes and remain behind.

* * *


	5. Chapter 5

CHAPTER FIVE

The following morning, almost the entire town gathered within the gates of the New Pacifica Cemetery to say goodbye to one of its youngest residents; a seven-year old girl who was both the casualty of a cruel disease and the innocent victim of her parent's unwillingness to save her because they disapproved of the cure.

Devon was there, of course, and she spoke eloquently about Sarah's much-too-short life. Having spent dozens of hours with the child in both the Syndrome ward on the Stations and in the unit on G889, Devon was able to relay many stories, some of them amusing, some of them heartbreaking, about a little girl who had loved to play with dolls and had dreamed of one day becoming a celebrated botanist just like her mother. Devon's eulogy focused solely upon Sarah and she managed to refrain from assigning blame or to bring up any 'hot button' issues such as the Terrians. She did, however, express her heartfelt hope that this would be the last funeral for a Syndrome child which ever took place on the planet. But everyone, including Devon, knew that this would be a scene that would be repeated many more times over the next year or so as the other children, whose families refused to get them the help that they so desperately needed, were allowed to gradually succumb to their illness.

After the service, Devon spent the entire morning speaking with New Pacifica's citizens and consoling those who had been the most profoundly touched by the latest death. Although she had seen Danziger there lingering among the crowd, she didn't take any opportunities to seek him out. Later, after realizing that he had left without her ever having spoken with him, Devon inwardly rationalized that it was probably for the best.

By that afternoon, it was back to business as usual. And for Devon, that meant attending meeting after meeting with various colonists, some of whom were grateful and appreciative of their new homestead, and others notsomuch. One long, arduous day led into another, then another and still another one after that and, before Devon knew it, two full weeks had passed.

As always, she tried to set aside as much time as she could to spend with Uly and True, but she saw very little of John. However, she had been informed by some of the other Edenites that, because of her lukewarm response to Danziger's request for employment, he'd decided to bypass her entirely. The day after Sarah Van Horten's funeral, Magus had shown up for work in the Auto Depot which housed the town's disabled vehicles, only to find John wedged under the carriage of a Dunerail, overhauling the engine and retrofitting it with a new solar fuse. And, thanks to John's efforts, it wasn't too long before every vehicle which had been gathering dust in the garage was enjoying a second chance at life.

As soon as the word was out that Danziger had ignored Devon's advice to stay at home in favor of returning to work, he was deluged with offers from several departments seeking both his expertise and his physical strength. Almost immediately, he was cutting down and hauling trees from a nearby forest for the new university building that would solely concentrate on college educations for the older students and would also offer training programs for any interested adults. At the same time, John was also helping Mazatl improve upon the irrigation techniques used for New Pacifica's corn and wheat fields as well as assisting him in mapping out the water routes for future projects such as the apple orchard which was only days away from being planted. In the spare moments that he wasn't able to spend with the children, he concentrated on repairing equipment that had either been damaged during the cargo pods' wild freefall to G889 or had been broken due to mishandling by careless colonists. Devon decided not to interfere with Danziger's choice to keep himself busy, especially since he seemed content with taking directions from others as opposed to actively pursuing a leadership position. This was a great relief to her.

John was one of many subjects currently on Devon's mind when she decided to call it yet another day at the office and head for home. She stuffed her briefcase full of papers before exiting her office and locking it securely behind her. Because everyone else had left several hours earlier, Devon also ended up locking the main doors to the building. This wasn't an unusual practice for her. She was almost always the first person to arrive in the morning and the last one to leave at night.

As Devon's ATV neared her house, she was pleased to observe that the dwelling was completely dark, save for the dim glow of the lumacones strategically lining the edge of the front porch. She switched off the vehicle's headlights and slowed her speed to a crawl so as not to disturb Danziger and the children. Once parked, she practically tiptoed up the walkway and ever-so-gently opened the front door. But instead of going inside, she remained in the threshold and listened to see if anyone had heard her arrival. When the response to her question was a resounding silence, she realized that she had been given a golden opportunity to slip away for a little while without worry of detection. She gingerly set her briefcase just inside the entrance and then reshut the door behind her.

* * *

Danziger may have been tired, but a peaceful rest eluded him. He spent night after night laying in bed, his brain refusing to allow him to sleep. It had been this way for weeks now, ever since he'd moved into his new home. The same home that he shared with Devon. Although she was constantly on his mind, during the day John could at least partially concentrate on other things like work and taking care of their children. But at night, alone in the darkness, his thoughts were consumed by her. It wasn't as though he saw her all that often, despite the fact that her bedroom was located directly across the hall from his. The woman seemed to go out of her way to avoid him. And whenever they did spend time together, it was usually either in a group or with the kids in attendance, and, even then, Devon barely acknowledged him beyond an occasional look or a polite smile in his direction.

He almost wished that she was mad at him. Anger was an emotion that John could deal with and at least that would be a starting point to resolve whatever problems were keeping them from communicating. But whenever he'd look at Devon, there was almost always a distant look in her eyes. It reminded him of the way she'd acted when he'd first been introduced to her just after being hired for the Eden Project. She'd been pleasant, but aloof. Standing directly in front of him, but a million miles away. Unreachable. Untouchable.

His latest bout of Devon-induced insomnia was unexpectedly interrupted by the sound of the front door slowly creaking open. Because he hadn't heard the approach of a vehicle, he quickly dismissed the possibility that it could be Devon. And, although Yale had free reign to come and go from their house as he pleased, the former tutor would never have stopped by so late without calling in advance. He also knew that True and Uly weren't the source of the commotion because he hadn't heard either of them leave their rooms since he'd personally tucked them into bed several hours earlier. Fearful that there was an intruder within their midst, Danziger's senses went on immediate alert. He held his breath and waited, his eyes centered on the one inch gap between the base of the door and the floor, searching for shadows and listening intently for any noise that would clue him in as to what he was dealing with.

After a few seconds of agonizing stillness, Danziger heard the front door close, yet he didn't detect the sound of footsteps or any other signs that would indicate to him that someone had entered the house. As quietly as possible, he slipped out of bed and crept over to the window which faced the road. Danziger's concern transformed into surprise as he was just in time to catch the silhouette of Devon stealthily heading across the street toward the path leading to the beach. Without a moment to waste, John threw on a pair of pants and a heavier shirt and didn't take the time to lace up his boots before hurrying after Devon in hot pursuit.

As he shut the door behind him, he inwardly debated whether or not he should be following her. However, besides possessing a healthy curiosity about finding out exactly where she was going and why, Danziger was worried about her. With all of her firsthand knowledge of the dangers of G889, the woman should know better than to be out wandering around alone in the middle of the night, Danziger groused to himself. He also recognized that this could be the perfect time for him to finally sit Devon down and force her to talk to him. And he wanted Devon to listen to what he had to say as well because there were several matters which needed to be brought out into the open. Feelings which John had kept buried inside of him for far too long already.

The trail was nearly pitch black and Danziger hadn't thought to bring along a lumalight, so he had to rely upon his memory of the path's twists and turns along with the occasional beams of light filtering in through the trees from the two moons hovering above. When he reached the forest's edge, he abruptly halted when he realized that Devon was only a few yards ahead of him. She was already seated in the sand with her legs tightly drawn up to her chest and her chin resting on her knees, looking as beautiful as ever as she stared out at the ocean. Because she was facing the opposite direction and the sound of the rolling surf had drowned out his rather noisy arrival, John decided to call out to her to make her aware of his presence. But before he could say anything, Devon began to speak, though it quickly became apparent that she wasn't addressing him. Danziger squinted in the darkness and briefly scanned the area searching for another person before he finally noticed the gearset entwined in her hair. He shook his head in disapproval and cynically wondered if she'd had the equipment permanently fused to her head since she always seemed to be wearing it.

John remained in the shadows of the trees, silently studying her and straining to hear her words over the sounds of the wind and the crashing waves. He knew that it was wrong of him to be invading her privacy by eavesdropping, yet he was unable to stop himself, especially after hearing the uncharacteristically emotional tone which she was employing.

"I miss you," he heard Devon express with tenderness. She outstretched her hand and held it in the air for several moments and it was only then that Danziger realized that Devon wasn't just speaking to an unseen caller on gear. She was meeting someone in VR.

He edged a bit closer to her as she continued, "I hate having to sneak around like this. I know that it's not possible for us to be together. There are much bigger issues at stake. I just wish that we could see each other more often. And I wish..." Her voice faded away and Danziger couldn't tell if she'd decided not to complete the thought or if the rest of the sentence had simply been carried away by the breeze. Either way, he had already heard enough to be thoroughly shocked.

Devon's gaze dropped to the ground. "So much has changed, hasn't it? I know that it doesn't do us any good to second-guess the choices that we've made for ourselves. The situation is what it is and there's nothing either of us can do about it now."

She sat there quietly, presumably to listen as her VR partner responded. Meanwhile, Danziger was riveted in place, too upset to move or to speak.

Devon lifted her head and let out a sad sigh. "Sometimes it's hard for me to believe that I've spent most of my life as one of those people who insisted on seeing a glass as being half-full instead of half-empty. If there was a problem, I could solve it. And no matter how dark things got, I always knew that there would be a light at the end of the tunnel. Even if I couldn't see it yet, I had faith that it was there and that I would somehow reach it."

She exhaled another disheartened breath. "It's all so different now. I can't find the light anymore. Maybe there never was one to begin with. Or maybe it's here somewhere and I just refuse to see it. Maybe I've become blind to it at this point."

Her voice started to quiver as she unsuccessfully tried to swallow her sobs. "What am I going to do? I- I don't trust my instincts anymore. According to the Terrians, I'm supposed to be the one who keeps us all from killing each other. But how do I go about doing that? What if I make a wrong decision? What if I already made it weeks or months ago and doomed us all? Everyone is depending on me and I have absolutely no idea what I'm doing. I feel so completely lost."

Listening to Devon's anguished cries was more than Danziger could take. Momentarily forgetting where he was and the fact that she was in the midst of poring her heart out to someone else, he stepped out of his hiding place with the intention of consoling her. However, John received a crushing blow when Devon, having no idea that he was practically standing right behind her, inadvertently let him know exactly where the two of them stood with each other.

"You know that you're the only person who I feel comfortable saying these things to, don't you?" she said earnestly as she wiped her tearstained face with the back of her hand. "I don't know what I'd do without you. When we're together, I feel safe and confident and-" She paused again and slowly extended her arm out in front of her. "You make me feel alive."

John had heard more than enough. Despite him feeling as though he'd just been sucker-punched in the gut, he was as careful as possible not to disturb Devon as he backed away. Once he was shrouded within the blackness of the trees, he was able to let his emotions take over as he tried to process what he'd just witnessed.

It was all starting to make sense to him now. Devon had shut him out of her life because she had replaced.him with another man, one whose company she preferred over his. If Danziger hadn't been so devastated by the revelation, he would have felt like a fool.

How could you not have seen this coming, he berated himself. Her stiff behavior toward you. Avoiding you at every turn. She was hardly ever at home and it probably had little to do with her long work hours. The truth of the matter was that she knew you'd be there waiting for her and you made her feel uncomfortable. She might have agreed to share her house with you, but she'd never said anything about sharing her heart.

Danziger continued to mentally kick himself as he staggered up the trail toward the house. Maybe it was true that Devon had cared about him at one time. After a very rocky start and between all of their arguments and their struggle for survival in a strange new world, they'd gradually been able to develop a close relationship with one another both as co-leaders of Eden Advance and as friends. And as much as Danziger had tried to deny it to himself and to everyone around him, his feelings for her had deepened. Furthermore, there had been hints that Devon might have felt the same way about him. In the East coast spider-caves, John had overheard part of a conversation in which Devon had revealed as much to Alonzo. When she had later become ill and had asked him to take over the responsibility of raising Uly along with completing her life's work by building an outpost in New Pacifica, in John's mind, Devon was confirming that she'd trusted him. And, although she hadn't spoken the words, John had hoped that she'd loved him, too. Just as he had loved her.

But that was a long time ago and, clearly, a lot had changed. Obviously, the man who Devon was currently engaged in a secret VR rendezvous with must have been a passenger on the colony ship, Danziger deduced. Most likely, he was the father of a Syndrome child, someone who she'd known for years. John further concluded that the pair probably had been involved in a relationship long before they'd departed for G889.

For the first time, he realized how little he actually knew about Devon's life before The Eden Project. Although they'd shared many late-night talks, there were always lines drawn in the sand that neither of them ever dared to cross, so their discussions were usually limited to general topics such as work and anecdotes about their children. As such, Danziger was told next to nothing about Uly's father nor did he ever offer to discuss any of the more sensitive subjects from his own past such as Elle.

John began to examine the events of the past three years with a brand new pair of eyes. Perhaps Devon had indeed been attracted to him or, at least, had begun to care for him on some level. But now he understood that there was never any chance that those feelings would have evolved into anything more than a short-term love affair. In the end, Danziger would have only been a diversion for her until the real love in her life had arrived on the Jamestown. Hell, Devon certainly didn't think twice about picking up right where she'd left off with Shepard when they were unexpectedly reunited, John grumbled to himself. How is this latest situation any different?

John felt as though both of his feet were anchored with fifty pound weights as he reentered his home and trudged up the stairwell back to his bedroom. He collapsed into bed fully clothed, too mentally exhausted to even bother with the removal of his shoes. He stared up at the ceiling, his mind plagued by feelings of sadness, remorse and an overpowering sense of loss for a woman whose love he'd never really had in the first place. At that moment, the only thing in his life that he could count on was the knowledge that he wouldn't be getting any sleep that night.

* * *


	6. Chapter 6

CHAPTER SIX

Morgan Martin liked his job. Of course, he still wasn't much more than just a glorified paper-pusher. Some things would never change. Plus, the hours were long, the work was often tedious and a few of the colonists were perpetually difficult. But since Devon had promoted him to the position of Deputy Administrator, for the very first time in his life, he felt important to people other than Bess. In fact, he was now considered to be a respected figure in the community. Best of all, thanks in no small part to his efforts, New Pacifica was quickly becoming the flourishing settlement that Devon had promised to provide the Syndrome families so many years before. He was making a difference. And it felt pretty darn good.

Although the sun was still lazily rising over the eastern ridge, Morgan was already firmly ensconced in his office, dictating notes from his prior day's meeting with the Agricultural Committee. He was completely relaxed and had leaned all the way back in his chair with both of his feet leisurely stretched out across the desk, his palms pressed together at his chest level in the praying position, deep in thought as he recorded pertinent information into his gearlog. He was so focused on the task at hand that he failed to notice that Danziger had arrived and was currently standing in his doorway.

"Morgan."

The bureaucrat didn't respond and continued his dictation, so John attempted to get his attention again. "Morgan!" he called out more forcefully while loudly rapping his knuckle against the door's frame.

It worked. So startled was Morgan that he jumped in his chair and involuntary lifted his feet, propelling him forward and almost launching him across the desk. He was able to catch himself in time, but he still felt rather stupid. John Danziger had a habit of making him feel that way. It wasn't as if the two of them were adversaries any more. But they weren't exactly friends either and Morgan found it almost impossible not to trip over his words-- or his feet-- whenever Danziger was around. He would probably always be a little afraid of John's intimidating nature just as he'd always feel the pangs of guilt over abandoning John and the others when he'd pirated one of the three escape pods on the Roanoke.

Unbeknownst to Morgan, Danziger was feeling rather awkward himself. "I looked around for your receptionist, but I didn't see her anywhere," he shrugged, sounding almost apologetic for accidentally frightening the man.

"Um, she's not in yet," Morgan said as he removed his gearset and retucked a few loose hairs back into his ponytail. "If you're looking for Devon, she had an early board meeting over at the hospital and, after that, she's scheduled to spend the rest of the morning in the Syndrome ward."

"Yeah, Uly already told me. I'm here to see you," he stated plainly as he sank into the seat across from him. "I need your help, Martin."

Morgan looked at John as if he'd grown a second head. Something must be pretty wrong if Danziger is coming to _me_ for help, Morgan inwardly speculated. After inspecting him a little more closely, he realized that Danziger seemed to be more unkempt than usual. As a matter of fact, he looked terrible. His clothing was so wrinkled that it gave the appearance that John had slept in them. Little did Morgan know that this was actually the case.

"What can I do for you?" he asked, wearing a hesitant smile.

"I need to put in a request for different housing," Danziger revealed in a low, gravelly voice. "Preferably something in town."

Morgan's head shot back. "For you?"

"Yeah, for me and True," he confirmed with a nod. "It doesn't have to be big. I'm sure anything that you have available will do just fine."

"Uh, have you, um," Morgan stumbled, his nervousness going into overdrive as he tried to get out the question. "Have you talked to Devon about this?"

John's face darkened. "There's nothin' to talk to her about."

When Morgan began shaking his head in bewilderment, Danziger further explained, "It's best that I move out. People around here are gettin' the wrong impression about Devon and me because we're living in the same house. It's hurting her reputation."

Morgan's eyes narrowed. "Devon doesn't care about her reputation," he said incredulously.

"But I do," John insisted, harnessing all of his mental strength so that his face and voice remained stonelike. "These new folks think that she's sleeping with a Drone and a lot of them are lookin' at her differently because of it. They're judging her. It may not be right, but that's what's going on. And I can't let it continue, especially when it's damaging her ability to lead."

He hoped that his explanation would be enough to appease Morgan. He certainly had no intention of going into the other reason that he felt the sudden need to leave.

He added, "Look, I know that True and Devon are close and I promise to make sure that they still get to spend lots of time with each other. Maybe True can sleep at Devon's house sometimes." He roughly raked his hand through his hair and shrugged his shoulders. "I'm not sure how we'll handle it, but we'll work something out."

Morgan remained unconvinced as well as unsure exactly how to best respond. "I don't feel right about doing this. Devon doesn't like it when people go behind her back," he relayed, selecting his words with caution. "Why don't you sleep on this for a couple of days? Or, even better, why don't you discuss this with Devon? I'm sure that once you tell her what you're planning to do-"

Although he appreciated that Morgan was trying his best to be helpful, Danziger could no longer listen to his suggestions.

"There's someone else in her life, Martin," he interrupted.

The bureaucrat's mouth went agape. "What are you talking about?"

John's gaze fell to the floor and he took a deep breath. "Devon is involved with another man," he revealed, now only partially successful at trying to keep his voice as even as possible. "She's trying to keep it under wraps, probably because she doesn't want the town to know her business. She might also be hidin' it out of some misguided sense of obligation to me. Because of what I gave up to bring her back."

It took a moment or two for Morgan to respond. "You know, uh, this is probably just a big misunderstanding. I think that you may be confused," he offered with a theatrical wave of his fingers. "I get that way sometimes, too. Bess says that it's due to stress and because I'm sort of high-strung."

John's dejected stare refocused on the bureaucrat. "I saw them, okay?" he blurted out. Morgan's eyes widened as John continued, "I mean, I overheard Devon talking to him last night. And don't worry, I'm not gonna ask who he is." Although it's obvious by your expression that you know his identity, Danziger said to himself.

"I just-" John continued before pausing to exhale another tired breath. "Devon deserves to have some happiness in her life for a change. My leaving could be the first step in making that happen. She already has enough to worry about without havin' to keep secrets in her own home. After I go, she'll be free to do what she wants." His eyes plummeted back to his feet. "I need to move on with my life, so she can move on with hers."

As Morgan observed John, in his mind, the mechanic looked and acted like a man who had been completely destroyed inside. Morgan was reminded of how, years before, Danziger had exhibited similar behavior after the group had placed Devon in cold-sleep. He also recalled that what had finally pulled John out of his despair was the discovery of what it would take to bring her back. It had become abundantly clear to everyone in Eden Advance that, although Danziger may have donated his bio-chip and forfeited over two years of his life out of a sense of responsibility, he'd also done it out of love. And, as far as Morgan was concerned, after all that John had given up, it was terribly unfair for him to be put through this emotional wringer now. The man deserved some answers. Morgan just didn't want to be the one to provide them. There was no way that he was willingly stepping into that minefield.

Morgan figured that, when in doubt as to what to do, it can never hurt to stall. "Let me look into this, um, housing situation," he declared, modestly successful at keeping his twitchiness to a minimum. "I'll get back to you by this evening," he added, gently tapping the gearset on the desk in front of him.

Danziger lumbered to his feet and outstretched his hand. "Thanks, Martin," he said with sincerity, inadvertently pulling Morgan up to the standing position with his powerful grip.

"Sure," the bureaucrat replied through gritted teeth, trying not to wince at the firmness of the handshake. "That's what I'm here for, right?"

John gave him a final nod before relinquishing his hand and exiting the office. Morgan waited, listening intently for the sounds of John making his way back down the hallway and then descending the staircase. It was only after Morgan had detected the faint echo of the main door of the building swinging to a close that he finally permitted himself to have a meltdown.

He dropped back into his chair and began to theatrically shake his head back and forth. "Oh, boy, oh, boy, oh, boy. This isn't happening. This is not happening. Why me? Why does this always happen to me?" he mumbled in a barely coherent rant. "That's it. I'm a dead man. The only question is who's going to kill me first, Devon or Danziger?"

He rubbed at his now-throbbing temples and speculated aloud about what horrible atrocity he could have possibly committed in a prior life that could warrant this hornet's nest being dumped into his lap in this one. After a few more seconds of wallowing in his newfound misery, Morgan reached for his gearset to call Bess. Surely, she would know what to do.

* * *

As usual, there was no rest for the weary.

Despite an almost mind-numbing lack of sleep, after he'd left Morgan's office, Danziger had opted to stay as busy as possible. But instead of his scheduled job at the University construction site, he'd decided to spend the day installing a wooden fence which would eventually enclose a little less than half a hectare of land. Apparently, there was almost an entire crateload of genetically engineered sheep embryos patiently waiting in stasis until one of Devon's biologists punched in the correct key code to bring them to life. Plus, they were waiting for the fence to be built. Danziger specifically chose this task because the animals were going to be housed in an unpopulated area on the outskirts of town. At the moment, it was safe to say that he wasn't really in the mood for socializing.

His self-imposed exile was loudly interrupted by the roar of two approaching Dunerails. They slowed to a stop and parked next to John's own recently allotted 'Rail and its occupants immediately started piling out of the vehicles. Yale, Alonzo, Morgan, Bess, Magus, Cameron, Uly and True began to make their way across the field to his location.

Danziger began to mutter profanity, scolding himself for his stupidity for trusting that Morgan would be able to keep his big mouth shut. He should have known better. Besides, as far as John was concerned, his decision to move out of Devon's house certainly didn't merit a visit from half of the members of Eden Advance. And what made an already bad situation even worse was that they had taken it upon themselves to involve True and Uly in their meddling before he'd been given the chance to fill them in on his relocation plans. That was just the icing on the cake.

By the time the small group reached him, John had successfully reigned in his foul language, but he continued to take out his aggression on a defenseless wooden stake as he pounded it into the ground with a large mallet.

He briefly glanced at the children in between forceful swings. "Aren't you two supposed to be in school?" he said in a flat, disinterested tone.

By this point in her life, True was well-versed in her father's passive-aggressive behavior and she wasn't the least bit fooled by his deceptively neutral voice and expression. And she'd also become an expert on exactly how to handle him when he acted this way.

She shrugged. "We were, but Yale came and got us," the girl answered just as offhandedly. "Aren't you supposed to be installing the plumbing for the University building?"

"I was," he grunted as the mallet struck its wooden mark, "but it was too crowded." He paused for a moment to give the group a pointed look before going back to his hammering.

John's friends and family were undeterred by his less than subtle declaration that he wished to be left alone. They also chose to ignore that the mechanic was dangerously close to losing his patience and blowing his top, all while he was holding something that could be used as a weapon. This was because they were on a mission-- an intervention, of sorts-- and time was of the essence. And John's habit of running off to hide every time he was confronted by an issue that he found too emotionally taxing ended up working in the group's favor as well. It afforded them a unique opportunity to approach him outside of the eyes and earshot of New Pacifica's newer residents, which was an essential part of their plan. What they had to discuss with Danziger had to remain between the members of Eden Advance.

Yale decided to begin. "We need to talk to you about a rather delicate subject matter."

John dropped his hammer to the ground and wiped the perspiration from his brow with the back of his sleeve, his hard stare squarely centered on Morgan the entire time.

Bess stepped directly into John's line of sight as Morgan conspicuously shuffled behind her for safety.

"Please don't be mad at Morgan," she appealed on her husband's behalf. "He was in between a rock and a hard place. He called me right after you left his office. He told me what you'd asked him to do." She hesitated briefly. "He also told me what you saw last night."

Bess detected a flash of emotion in John's eyes at the latter comment. Her tone was sympathetic as she continued, "I called Yale for advice and we decided to contact some of the others to get their opinions. We ended up pulling True and Uly out of class because they deserved to know what was going on, too."

"This affects all of us, Dad," True said. "Not just you and Devon."

John nodded his acknowledgment, understanding that True must be hurt at finding out about the upcoming change in their living situation from someone other than him. He instinctively bent down on one knee in order to speak with her eye-to-eye, momentarily forgetting how much she'd grown over the past few years. As such, he ended up craning his neck upward to meet his daughter's gaze.

"Yeah, I realize that it also affects you and Uly and I was planning on talkin' to the both of you about all of this tonight after Morgan got back to me." His fatherly tone took on a slight edge as he added, "But I don't see how movin' into town is anybody else's business but ours."

"That's because you don't know the whole story," Uly was quick to point out as John returned to the upright position.

"You told Morgan that you want Devon to be happy. We want that, too. For the both of you," Alonzo expressed. "We've been trying to protect you, but this isn't working."

"So, we've decided that it would be best to tell you the truth," Cameron said, obviously ill at ease.

Magus was just as uncomfortable. "Devon has no idea that we're here," she squirmed. "She's gonna have our hides for this."

"I believe that incurring Devon's wrath is the least of our worries right now," Yale noted in a voice filled with concern.

The tutor neglected to mention that the group had briefly considered engaging in a similar tactic and confronting Devon, instead of John. However, the suggestion had been quickly nixed when it was unanimously concluded that, in addition to reacting negatively, Devon wouldn't have been swayed by their efforts. But Danziger, on the other hand, was a different matter entirely.

As they'd predicted, their cryptic words had definitely grasped Danziger's full attention. "Go on," he said as evenly as possible, hoping that he didn't look and sound as unsettled as he felt.

The crew traded nervous glances for a few seconds, silently wondering which one of them would continue with the heart of their confession. It was Alonzo who finally stepped up.

"Every one of us has been lying to you," he disclosed, speaking slowly. "It started years ago. The day before we put you in cryosleep."

"Well, they weren't exactly lies," Bess interjected, trying to put a positive spin on their actions. "More like sins of omission."

True didn't want her father to try to take command of the conversation, so she kept things moving. She took a stride forward and produced a small object from her pants pocket.

"First things first," she said, outstretching her hand with the tiny item now carefully wedged in between her thumb and forefinger. "There's something that we need to show you."

When John realized that True was holding a gearchip, he was no longer able to mask his shock. "What a minute, is that Dev-" he stumbled, flabbergasted. His horrified expression quickly transformed into disgust. "You gotta be kidding me. There's no way that I'm going in there!"

"You have to," Alonzo insisted, holding up his own gearset, correctly assuming that Danziger had purposely left his behind so that he'd remain undisturbed.

John continued to shake his head in both disbelief and in defiance, determined to stand his ground. That is, until he looked into the eyes of the one person in the world who he could never say no to.

"Please, Dad," True implored. "It's really important that you see this."

Danziger concluded that any further protest on his part would only put off the inevitable and, with obvious reluctance, he accepted the offered gearset and chip. He swept the loose strands of hair out of his eyes before placing the equipment on his head and carefully setting the chip into place. Although his face had reverted back to a stone demeanor, there was a fear in his eyes that couldn't be hidden, no matter how hard he'd tried. In fact, True could have sworn that she'd even detected a slight trembling of her father's hands as he slowly swung the eyepiece into position and initiated the VR program's start sequence.

There were streaks of blue and silver light along with the false sense of John's body being thrust forward in motion before the world around him seemingly disappeared and he rematerialized in a completely different location, an unlit room shrouded in silence. Danziger took several deep, cleansing breaths to regain his bearings while his eyes tried to adjust to the sudden blackness. He became aware that he was standing with his back against a wall as his right hand brushed what felt like a ladder directly next to him. Although the place struck him as oddly familiar, it was still nearly impossible for Danziger to see and he was greatly relieved when he finally detected a faint light emanating from the opposite side of the enclosure.

The almost deafening stillness was broken by the sound of his boots clanging against the metal floor as he guardedly made his way across the room, unsure as to what or perhaps who he would find at the other end. His attention was briefly drawn to several groupings of dull red and white lights on various computer equipment which were scattered throughout the chamber. It wasn't until he'd reached the other wall that he came to the stunning realization of where he was. His heart launched into his throat when he recognized that he was standing in the belly of a perfectly replicated VR image of Franklin Bennett's Venus-class starship. He swung his head toward the source of the light and was stunned to come face to face with a lifeless copy of himself entombed in a cold-sleep crypt.

Nearly paralyzed by shock, he staggered forward the final few steps toward the image in a stupor, colliding into a metal chair which had been placed directly in front of the cryotube in the process. He barely noticed the nearby flash of light which alerted him that True had joined him in VR.

True immediately closed the short distance between them and grabbed her father's hand, squeezing it tighter and tighter until she was finally able to break his trance and he turned to look at her. She was the very picture of composure as she gestured back to John's likeness in the cryochamber.

"This is the other man-- the only man-- in Devon's life," she said plainly.

John's mind was swirling and he could only stare at True with widened eyes for a few moments. Then, without saying a word, he yanked his hand from his daughter's grasp and reached up toward his temple to deactivate his unseen gear.

After he'd vanished from the room, True turned and glanced sadly at her father's inert image, finally allowing her pain to show. Unlike Devon who, over time, had seemed to have gotten used to viewing John in that state, True had never become comfortable enough to visit him in the VR program that Morgan had made for them both. True couldn't bear to see her Dad like that back then and, despite his full recovery, she didn't like seeing him that way now. In fact, this was the very first time that she had ever used her copy of the chip. And it would very likely be the last.

She exhaled a heavy sigh before ending the program and returning to reality. She was just in time to see her father rip the gearset from his head. His face had turned ashen and he looked as though he was almost in a daze.

"This- this doesn't make any sense," he was finally able to sputter out.

"It will if you let us explain," Cameron responded.

Alonzo took the gearset from John's hand and placed it back into the front pocket of his jacket. He'd wished that it had been possible for Julia to slip out of the hospital and accompany the group to see Danziger. Unfortunately, much like Devon, the doctor was also currently living her life under a microscope and abandoning her scheduled shift might have aroused the suspicions of Devon and the colonists as to her whereabouts, so she was forced to remain behind. Alonzo shook his head in frustration. Julia would be so much better at getting John to understand this mess, he thought to himself.

"I want you to think back to when Devon was in cryosleep and you were trying to get Julia to agree to perform the transplant. You two must've screamed at each other for almost five days straight," the pilot expressed in a serious tone. "Didn't you ever wonder why Julia seemed to change her mind overnight? Why she'd suddenly said yes when she'd been so against it only hours before?"

"I figured that she finally came to her senses. There was no other option and we were running out of time," John answered, still looking baffled.

"No," Bess clarified. "Alonzo was the one who finally convinced her to go through with it." She paused and swallowed hard. "Because he saw what would've happened to you if she didn't."

"'Lonz saw what would've happened to everybody," Danziger said in a strained voice, motioning back toward Solace. "The colony failed and we all died."

"Yes, but there is much more to it than that," Yale disclosed. "After several days had passed without Devon being revived, the Terrians grew impatient. They brought Alonzo back to the Dreamplane and demanded an explanation for why nothing had been done. They then decided to provide him with more specifics about our future if the circumstances were not changed."

All eyes fell upon Alonzo to continue with the explanation as only he could. "It was all very sketchy. The images were jumbled," he said, running his hands through his dark hair. "But the Terrians were very clear on certain key points."

He wore a crestfallen expression as he pivoted to face John directly. "I saw the colony ship arrive. Things went bad as soon as they landed. They were furious that Devon wasn't there and because you had been left in charge. You did your best, but most of them wouldn't listen to you."

The pilot shifted uncomfortably and his eyes fell to the ground. "I'm not sure if it was part of a conspiracy or if it was someone acting on their own, but the Terrians made sure to show me the very first step of the colonists' rebellion-- their rejection of the planet. It was to commit a murder." He redirected his gaze back to Danziger. "Yours."

True successfully stifled her tears and sounded more like a grown-up than ever before as she revealed, "In the original timeline, you and Devon never saw each other again. You were already dead by the time we'd healed her." She let out a shuddering breath. "In both versions of the future, Devon was given your bio-stat implant."

Danziger was feeling completely overwhelmed and he stumbled two steps backward, shaking his head ferociously as he tried to make sense of it all. He barely heard Yale continue, "We're not sure if this means that Victoria Taggert would have survived if we hadn't changed things. We were never able to determine the exact point at which her cryotube malfunctioned. There is a possibility that it could have been during the three month delay. A lot of us feel really guilty about that, particularly Devon."

The confession was followed by several moments of awkward silence while the crew patiently waited for John to process the details of what he'd just learned. After finally composing himself enough to speak coherently, the mechanic croaked out, "You should have told me this sooner. I had a right to know all of this."

Magus shrugged her shoulders. "We thought that keeping you in the dark would be better for you in the long run," she said with compassion. "None of us wanted you to spend the rest of your life looking over your shoulder, wondering about which of the colonists had murdered you; and whether or not history would repeat itself."

"Our hearts were in the right places," Bess added, her tone and expression equally kind.

"Yeah, I mean, ignorance is supposed to be bliss, right?" Morgan exclaimed. John gave him an inscrutable look which caused Morgan to immediately scuttle back behind Bess again. One can never be too careful when it comes to a loose cannon like John Danziger, Morgan nervously rationalized to himself.

John's focus returned to the rest of the group. "So why spill the beans now?" he pressed.

"Because you deserve to know," Cameron answered. "And because you didn't leave us much of a choice."

Alonzo quickly clarified, "Everyone in Eden Advance has been watching over you to make sure that none of the colonists caused any trouble. But if you move into town, it'll make it almost impossible to protect you."

Uly took a small pace forward. "Plus, my Mom would be really upset if you left," he said in a heartfelt voice. "And so would I. I like having you and True live with us."

John reached out and gave Uly a fatherly pat on the head and, for the first time, he realized the severity of the loss he would feel if Uly suddenly wasn't there to interact with on a daily basis. The child had truly become like a son to him.

Meanwhile, Yale had begun to elaborate on Uly's first comment. "Devon misses you, John. She wants you living with her so that she can be certain that you remain safe, yet she also wants you there because she cares about you."

The former tutor's face grew solemn. "But she understands that she is walking a very fine line where you are concerned on both personal and professional levels. Devon's life is directly intertwined with the success of New Pacifica and, the more contact that she has with you, the more danger you could be in. There is not a doubt in my mind that she wishes that you were there at her side to help her run the colony. But she knows that if she gives you any type of a leadership position, or if she even gives off the appearance that you have become a trusted member of her inner circle, she could possibly be placing your life in peril. Devon will not risk that, even at the expense of her own happiness."

Danziger's gaze dropped to his feet and he remained deep in thought as he absorbed the weighty words of his friends and daughter. He knew that he should be angry. Hell, he should be furious at the fact that they'd kept so much from him, especially regarding what they knew about his fate before he had placed himself into cold sleep. But, at that moment, John was just plain overwhelmed by too many other feelings to focus in on any animosity or resentment that he might have harbored. Mostly, he was just relieved to finally get some answers.

Several moments of stillness followed before he lifted his eyes back to the small crowd. He brushed away the strands of now sweat-soaked hair that had fallen in front of his face to reveal a completely open expression. To a few of the members of Eden Advance, John appeared more vulnerable than they could ever remember seeing him.

John turned his full attention to Alonzo. "So do you think that enough has changed? Is my situation all that different now than it was in the original timeline?" he asked, his voice reflecting the myriad of emotions that he was currently experiencing.

The pilot's answer was an honest one. "I don't know. The Terrians haven't shown me anything about what to expect in this future. I can only hope that that's a sign that we're on the right track." He cracked a small smile as he tried to put an optimistic foot forward. "As for your specific timeline, you're certainly safer now than you were before. The fact that you're still alive has to mean something, right?"

What Alonzo purposely failed to mention was that, long ago, he and the others had figured out that the Terrians' reason for sharing the details of John's grisly murder at the hands of the colonists had only been done in order to motivate Eden Advance to do as they had asked. The creatures had never had any interest in Danziger as an individual. Their sole concern was to save humanity as a whole. Had John's death really been averted by reviving Devon sooner than they had originally planned? Or had his demise only been delayed? _Had_ enough truly changed? There was really no way of knowing and the Terrians certainly didn't feel compelled to provide them with any answers.

Meanwhile, Cameron continued the conversation. "And who knows?" he declared. "Maybe being forewarned is being forearmed. Telling you the truth might've been the right decision all along."

"God forgive us, if we're wrong," a still worried Bess whispered under her breath.

Magus gave the Earth-res a gentle nudge with her elbow. "I don't know about God, but I'm sure that Devon never will."

True glanced at the two women to acknowledge that she had overheard their exchange before stepping forward and taking her father's hand in her own. "So, what are you gonna do now, Dad?"

John could only stare into True's large, brown eyes and shake his head. He had absolutely no idea how to answer her question.

* * *


	7. Chapter 7

CHAPTER SEVEN

It was well after eleven in the evening when Devon finally arrived home from another draining day at the office. She gingerly shut the front door behind her and began to carefully maneuver her way through the darkened living room, expertly avoiding bumping into the furniture or making any other noises which could possibly disturb the cottage's other occupants. She had just reached the base of the staircase when a deep voice penetrated the silence.

"Devon."

Devon nearly jumped out of her skin at the sound and she swung back to face the room. "Who's there?" she demanded, scanning the blackness for any signs of life.

After pausing long enough to regain her bearings, she was able to identify who the voice belonged to. "Danziger, is that you?"

"Yeah," came the reply. Devon could barely hear him and his tone had a slight echo-like quality to it. She quickly deduced that John was in a different part of the house, so she gave up her search of the immediate proximity.

"I'm in the kitchen," he added, confirming that she was correct.

Devon closed her eyes for a moment and exhaled an exhausted breath. As she slowly began to make her way toward the source of the voice, she inwardly chastised her selfishness for insisting that John move in with her after his resurrection and subsequent recovery. How could she ever have expected things to go smoothly?

She shook her head in frustration. The last thing that she needed right now was the additional stress of having to deal with Danziger. She decided that, whatever he'd wanted from her, she would make sure that he got it out quickly, so she didn't have to stick around for too long. She didn't want to risk broaching any subjects which she had no intention of discussing with him. Nothing good could come from that.

She halted a few steps shy of the room's threshold in order to straighten up her posturing and lift her chin. Once she was satisfied that she looked as though she was firmly in control and ready to take on any situation, she entered the room.

Unlike the rest of the home, the kitchen had several generous patches of moonlight streaming into it courtesy of the three windows which lined the opposite wall. When the additional brightness was still unable to provide Devon with any clues as to John's whereabouts, her gaze continued to pan the enclosure for his presence. Oddly enough, it never occurred to her to turn on the lights or to call out his name. Finally, she honed in on the kitchen table located just a few feet away from her. The table itself was bathed in light, yet everything around it remained cloaked in darkness. Devon squinted her eyes and was inwardly relieved to at last decipher a large silhouette sitting in the chair facing her direction.

"What on Earth are you doing, Danziger?" she demanded, purposely choosing an indignant tone.

"Waiting for you," he said evenly, obviously not affected in the least by Devon's attitude and making no attempt to move into the light.

Devon folded her arms in front of her in a defiant stance. "In the dark?"

There was a pause and Devon thought that she heard John emit a small sigh. "It was the only way that I could think of to make sure that you couldn't avoid me. The element of surprise is about all I got left."

Although she was careful not to show it, John's words were unsettling to her and she suddenly felt cornered. To add to her discomfort, although John's features remained hidden in the shadows, she could feel his stare upon her, boring into her very soul and trying to read her most private thoughts. Devon's arms fell back to her sides and she turned to leave before she could give anything away.

"Where are you going?" Danziger asked.

"I'm going to check on the kids and then I'm going to bed," she said over her shoulder as she started to march out of the room.

To Devon's surprise and to add to her continued uneasiness, John's voice remained unwaveringly calm as he relayed, "True and Uly aren't here. I sent 'em over to Yale's for the night."

She swung back to face him. "Why?"

"Because you and I are gonna talk this out."

Devon was absolutely terrified at where the conversation could be heading. Desperate, she decided to try a different tactic.

"I'm not sure what there is to talk about," she said, her tone suddenly appeasing in nature as she began to slowly edge her way backward out of the kitchen, "but it's been a long day and I'm very tired. I'm sure that anything that you have to discuss with me can wait until morning."

Devon heard the sound of John's chair being propelled backward as he shot to his feet. "You're not goin' anywhere. We're dealing with this tonight," he declared in a more forceful voice.

When his announcement only served to increase the speed of Devon's departure, John realized that he couldn't wait any longer. "I know the truth about the original future," he blurted out.

That stopped her in her tracks.

Devon could only stare in John's direction with her mouth agape as he continued, "I know that you and the others have been tryin' to protect me ever since I came back. I know about your guilt over the death of that Taggert woman. And I know why you barely acknowledge that I exist anymore."

Devon's knees felt as though they'd been transformed into jelly when a large hand reached out of the darkness and set a capsule-shaped VR chip on the table.

"I know everything, Devon," John said softly.

A tidal wave of nausea moved toward Devon's throat and she swallowed hard to force it back down. Almost dizzy at this point, her fingers fumbled to pry open the small pouch attached to her belt.

Danziger knew exactly what she was doing. "This isn't your chip," he revealed. "It's True's copy,"

Devon slowed her breathing as she attempted to contain the innumerable amount of feelings all warring for control inside of her. "They shouldn't have told you," she was barely able to sputter out.

"I disagree. I'm glad they filled me in," John said in a measured tone, doing his best to be a calming presence. He didn't want her to try to leave again.

He felt the need to add, "But I would've rather heard it from you."

Her eyes grew sad. "I didn't want to make the situation any worse than it was. You've been through enough." She let out a dispirited sigh. "My God, you've already had over two years of your life stolen from you."

She watched the silhouette of John's head cock to the side. "It wasn't stolen. I gave it away," he declared, bewildered at why she'd say such a thing.

"Because you had no other choice," she said unhappily. "You might as well have had a mag-pro pointed at your head."

Danziger didn't miss a beat and answered, "I got no regrets about what I did. And neither should you." The irony wasn't lost on him that, now that the truth was out, he'd been able to work through his feelings about their unique situation in a matter of hours when Devon still hadn't fully reconciled her emotions after more than two and a half years.

Devon's gaze nose-dived to the floor and she made no further effort to continue the discussion. After several seconds of tense silence, John took two large strides forward into the nearest patch of moonlight allowing Devon to finally see his face. That is, if she ever took her eyes off of the ground directly in front of her.

"Devon, for God's sake, talk to me," he implored, no longer willing or able to hide his emotions. "Say something. Anything. Tell me what you want."

She continued to stare at the blackness surrounding her feet. "I want-" she started in a strained voice. She paused to clear her throat and to take another full breath. "I want you to be able to look forward to the future," she said so quietly that he could barely hear her. "I want you to feel safe when you walk down the street. I want you to see your daughter grow into a woman. I want you to live a long and happy life."

Devon lifted her gaze to John and proclaimed in a stronger voice, "And the best way-- maybe the only way-- to make that happen is for you to stay as far away from me as possible." Although Devon's expression was one of determination, as she spoke, John could see the glistening of a tear forming in her eye which she quickly blinked back into submission. And it practically tore his heart into shreds to see her like this.

"I don't believe that for a minute," he responded.

Devon shook her head in frustration, wishing that that she could somehow make him understand and accept the reality of their situation. The man could be amazingly bullheaded when it came to listening to reason.

"Everything is different now," she said wistfully; a phrase which she had uttered countless times over the past two and a half years to the simulated version of Danziger in her VR program.

But this wasn't another one-sided conversation taking place in Franklin Bennett's replicated ship with John entombed in a cold-sleep crypt. This time, John was standing before her in the flesh. And, finally, he could respond to her words.

"You're wrong, Devon," he replied, his eyes never leaving hers as he closed the distance between them until he was directly in front of her. He tentatively reached up with his right hand and began to tenderly caress her cheekbone with his thumb. Although Devon appeared uncertain, she didn't attempt to pull away.

John tilted his face downward until it was just inches from hers and whispered, "There are certain things-- certain feelings-- that won't ever change. It doesn't matter what happens to us or how much time passes, those feelings will always be the same."

His left hand joined the other one and his fingers began to delicately weave their way through Devon's auburn hair until they reached the base of her neck. He held her head in place and slowly leaned forward. The word 'always' escaped his lips once more just before he covered her mouth with his.

John closed his eyes, savoring the sensation and committing Devon's taste and scent to a memory which he would cherish for the rest of his life. Devon, on the other hand, reacted rather stiffly to the kiss, neither rejecting nor returning his embrace. Her eyes remained wide open as a monumental battle between her heart and her mind raged for ultimate control. It was only after her heart had claimed a narrow yet triumphant victory that she allowed herself to respond to his advances with equal force.

Devon's hands sank deep into his dirty-blond curls and her fingertips found and began to stroke the vertical surgical scar located on the back of John's neck. Invigorated by her touch, Danziger's arms curled around her torso to pull her tightly against him, evoking a muffled gasp from them both. Both of their emotions were quickly spiraling beyond their control as their kisses intensified and grew more passionate with each passing moment.

John's hands roamed over top of Devon's clothing before easing her shirt out of her waistband. But as he slipped his fingers underneath and started to explore the soft curves of her body, Devon's own hands suddenly migrated to his shoulders and she gave him a hard shove, abruptly breaking their kiss and all other physical contact along with causing them both to clumsily falter a step backward before regaining their balance. For several anxious seconds, they could only gape at each other with huge eyes while simultaneously gulping for air.

Danziger resisted the almost overpowering urge to lurch forward to take Devon back into his arms and continue what they had begun because, to his dismay, he was fully aware that the proverbial rug was about to be pulled out from under him. Devon was going to explain to him that what they had just done had been a terrible mistake, one which could never be repeated. She would tell him that their friendship was over and that it would be in everyone's best interest if he left the house as soon as possible.

He attempted to steel himself for the news that he had lost her forever. As such, he was completely unprepared when Devon said something decidedly different.

"My bedroom door has a deadbolt," she said calmly, after regaining enough breath to finally speak.

Danziger looked at Devon as though she had just spoken to him in a foreign language and he tried to decipher exactly what she was telling him. After all, her words could be interpreted in two very different ways. Was this a warning to stay away from her? Or was this an invitation to accompany her upstairs? The latter possibility was almost too much for Danziger's heart to wish for. He stared at her in puzzlement, uncertain as to how to proceed.

Devon found John's befuddled expression and lack of response to be disconcerting, so she clarified, "I don't want the kids to come home early and accidentally walk in on us."

Devon watched as Danziger's shoulders relaxed and his face transformed from one of confusion to comprehension.

"Yeah," he nodded with a subtle, but earnest grin. "Okay."

Devon returned his heartfelt smile with one of her own as she took a step forward and outstretched her arm. At first, John gladly accepted the offered hand. However, as his thumb brushed against Devon's palm, his eyes widened in surprise. He flipped over what was once an untarnished hand to reveal deep callouses and grooves in Devon's skin which rivaled his own scars, a permanent testament to the many hours of hard labor she had withstood in order to build the colony of New Pacifica from the ground up.

Danziger continued to marvel at the rough texture and lovingly traced several of the creases before bringing her hand to his lips for a gentle kiss. Their eyes remet as John interlaced his fingers with Devon's and they slowly retreated from the kitchen hand-in-hand. Their grip on each other tightened a bit and they traded yet another smile as they reached the staircase. Devon and John's expressions were a mixture of anticipation, certitude and unbridled delight as they simultaneously ascended the steps leading to Devon's bedroom, all of which was accomplished in complete silence. Sometimes words weren't necessary.

* * *


	8. Chapter 8

CHAPTER EIGHT

It was still the early morning hours when Devon awoke from a tranquil slumber, feeling more energized than she had in years. She enthusiastically turned over to face Danziger and noticed that he had kicked off most of the covers on his side of the bed, leaving him more or less exposed to the elements.

After first taking a long pause to closely observe his features, Devon finally whispered, "John, are you awake?"

When Danziger's answer was a succession of raspy snores, Devon carefully reached over him to gather the displaced blankets and attentively recovered him to keep him from catching cold. She smiled at how completely at peace he looked, despite the guttural grunts and snorts emanating from him every few seconds. Devon nestled against him and buried her face in his chest and was rewarded with John sleepily draping his arms and legs over her to edge her even closer to him.

As she enjoyed the warm sensation of Danziger's body pressed against hers, her skin tingled and her heart increased its beat as she recalled the recent memories which were still fresh in her mind. Indeed, the last few hours had been among the happiest of her life. She'd had lovers before, but this was much different.

There had been a tenderness to John's touch; a gentle, desperate quality to his voice as he'd whispered her name; an unspoken yet almost unquenchable need for him to give her pleasure that had been completely unexpected on her part. The intensity of their lovemaking was almost overwhelming to her. She had never experienced anything like it. Not with Shepard. And not even with Uly's father.

Devon stretched her neck upward and lightly kissed John's cheek before gingerly disentangling her limbs from his and sliding out of bed. She picked up the clothing which had been eagerly tossed to the floor the prior evening and laid the items across a nearby chair. She tiptoed to the closet, cringing as the wooden floorboards creaked with each step. After hastily dressing, she slipped her feet into the nearest pair of shoes and crept toward the door. She ever-so-gently eased back the lock and turned once more to check on John and was relieved to confirm that he was still in the grips of a deep sleep. She smiled affectionately at his slumbering frame and a large part of her wished that she could rejoin him in bed. But she understood that this wasn't possible. After all, there was much to be done.

* * *

The orange and lavender hues of the sun were barely visible beyond distant eastern mountains as True and Uly, their overnight bags slung over their shoulders, traipsed up the walkway to their house, anxious to find out what had transpired between their parents. The night before, they had peeked out of Yale's window to witness Devon arrive at their cottage. Over the course of the evening, with great anticipation, the two children had carefully watched and listened for any signs of trouble. Yet, to their bewilderment, as far as they could tell, there was no activity whatsoever in the house. No one had angrily stormed out. There had been no yelling nor was there the sound of furniture being smashed or cookware being tossed. Devon and John had never even bothered to turn any of the lights on.

It was only after several long hours of staring in confusion at their darkened house, and after Uly had openly accused her father of chickening out, that True had gladly accepted a dare to clear her Dad's good name. As True had entered the house and slinked up the stairs, even she had to admit that things did seem to be too peaceful. For a few fleeting moments, True wondered if Uly was correct and her father had indeed lost his nerve and had decided not to confront Devon about what he'd learned earlier that day.

Moreover, when she'd reached the bedrooms, she was a bit puzzled to find the door to her Dad's room left wide open and his bed empty. Conversely, the door to Devon's room was tightly shut. But True's worries were completely alleviated after she had placed her ear directly against Devon's door to see if she could detect anything to clue her in as to what was going on. She was thrilled to be rewarded with hearing the voices of both Devon and her father. Although she was unable to decipher the specifics of their conversation (she rationalized that the thick, wooden door had undoubtedly muffled the words beyond any distinction), she could easily tell that the pair seemed to be getting along just fine. They were probably talking everything out, True smiled to herself, overjoyed as she tiptoed back down the staircase and out the front door.

True and Uly had barely gotten a wink of sleep, staying up almost the entire night excitedly speculating about what sort of changes might be in store for their parents. The children's eyes had only just flickered shut when Yale awoke them to let them know that Devon had contacted him on gear and had requested that the two return home as soon as they could.

As they entered the house, the clinking sound of plates and the mouthwatering scent of food drew the young pair into the kitchen.

Upon hearing them enter, Devon turned and welcomed them with a cheerful smile. "Good morning," she said brightly as she set two more dishes on the counter.

True and Uly returned her grin, although theirs was a bit more reserved. "Good morning," they said in unison after giving each other a quick glance.

Something was definitely different. For one thing, since Danziger had been returned to them, he was usually the one to get them breakfast and to make sure that they were off to school on time. Devon was almost always either already gone or, at the very least, rushing out the door at this point in the morning. Of course, the children had fully understood that much of the reason for Devon's haste was because she was trying to refrain from spending too much time in John's company. But she didn't seem to be in much of a hurry at all today.

They also noted that Devon's hair hung loosely about her face and her clothes were a bit on the creased side. In fact, her shoes didn't even match her outfit. Stranger still, the gearset which was almost always an integral part of Devon's ensemble was nowhere to be found. Their eyes searched the surroundings until they located the equipment set off to the side, strewn across the top of her briefcase. And to their great surprise and delight, the children also noticed that right next to it was the cloth pouch which contained the VR chip of John, one of Devon's most treasured possessions. They hoped that this was a good sign that she no longer had any need for it.

Devon seemed to be oblivious to True and Uly's observations and, instead, her gaze focused in on their overnight bags. "Why don't you put those back in your rooms," she suggested. As the kids nodded their acceptance, she added, "But try to be as quiet as possible, okay?"

Devon's eyes fell on True. "Your father's still asleep," she clarified, desperately trying to hide the elated expression that crept across her face.

The pair flashed another curious look toward each other before they went upstairs to do as they had been instructed. However, they ground to an immediate halt when they reached their parent's bedrooms and could only stare wide-eyed at Devon's still-closed door. Additionally, True realized that her father's door was exactly in the same state of ajar as it had been the prior evening and his bed appeared to have not been slept in at all. And there was only one place that her Dad could be, True excitedly deduced. Obviously, the two had stayed up so late talking that he had accidentally fallen asleep in Devon's bedroom. This was good news, indeed!

Just as she turned to share this newest revelation with Uly, there was a sudden rustling noise followed quickly by the muffled clamor of footsteps coming from Devon's room. This immediately set the children in motion and they scrambled the short distance to their respective rooms and roughly dropped their bags onto the floor before hightailing it back downstairs.

As they rejoined Devon in the kitchen, all three of them involuntarily paused at the sound of the opening of an upstairs door and a few subsequent footsteps, presumably Danziger leaving Devon's room and going back across the hall into his own. True and Uly noisily plopped into their chairs at the breakfast table and continued to trade glances as they began to eat the food which Devon had set out for them during their brief absence. At the same time, Devon took a noticeable breath before attempting to concentrate her energies on arranging a fourth place setting for John and then filling four glasses to the brim with a nearby pitcher of juice. She then eased into her seat across from the children and began to eat her meal at a leisurely pace.

After many moments of silence, Uly felt it necessary to ask, "Aren't you gonna be late, Mom?"

"As a matter of fact, no," Devon answered pleasantly as she swallowed a bite of food. "I'm not going to work today."

Both children froze in place. "What?" they exclaimed, their mouths agape.

Devon was unfazed by their shocked reactions. "I've decided to take the day off," she explained in a nonchalant tone as if this was completely normal behavior on her part. Of course, the truth was that everyone in the room, not to mention everyone in the entire colony, knew that Devon never missed a day at the office.

"I've rescheduled most of my appointments and Morgan has agreed to handle the rest."

The sounds of Danziger lumbering down the stairs caused Devon to straighten up in her chair and her pulse to quicken its beat as she added, "And I've already called your teachers to let them know that you won't be in school today."

"Are you serious?" True blurted out in disbelief.

Just as the words left her mouth, her father appeared in the doorway wearing a guarded expression. Despite how well things had gone with Devon the previous evening, John still wasn't all that sure about what to expect this morning. It was second nature for him to always be waiting for the other shoe to drop. And his fears weren't exactly being allayed by the stunned faces of the children whose jaws were practically on the table.

"What's goin' on?" he asked cautiously, trying to examine Devon's features and failing because she was seated with her back to him.

"Mom's ditching work and we're skipping school!" Uly declared, his voice half awe and half excitement.

Danziger's eyes narrowed in confusion. "Excuse me?"

Devon looked over her shoulder in John's direction. Although the mechanic could see very little of her face due to the angle at which she was sitting, he was relieved that she appeared to be smiling.

"Actually, I thought that all of us could play hooky today," she announced.

Her gaze diverted briefly to the nearest window before returning to Danziger. "I mean, it looks like it's going to be a beautiful day. We could have a picnic or maybe we could go for a walk on the beach. Or we can just spend it sitting around the house."

She strained her neck even further in order to get a better view of John. It was important that she see his reaction.

"It doesn't really matter what we do or where we go," she expressed in a serious, heartfelt tone. "As long as we get to spend the day together as a family."

As that last, extremely important word lingered in the air for several seconds, John suddenly felt as though he'd forgotten how to breathe and it took him a few moments before he was able to regain the ability to exhale. Once that task was accomplished, he concentrated his efforts on something slightly more complicated like putting one foot in front of the other.

The couple never took their eyes off of each other as he closed the gap between them and took a place standing directly behind her. Devon slowly leaned her body backward to comfortably rest against the part of Danziger's stomach and chest that wasn't blocked by the back of her chair.

She briefly broke eye-contact and turned to glance at the now-elated children before arching her head back to remeet Danziger's intense gaze.

"What do you think, John?"

Danziger's face hovered just a few inches over hers and he stared at her in silence for several moments. At last, the corners of his mouth began to ease upward and it wasn't long before he was sporting an ear-to-ear grin. He lifted his arms to her sides and began to lovingly caress her shoulders.

"Best idea I've heard all mornin'," he beamed.

As he continued to look into her brilliant sapphire eyes, Danziger knew exactly what he had to do in order for his relationship with Devon to work... or what _not_ to do, as the case may be. He would have to somehow manage to exist under the colony's collective radar. He couldn't make any waves or risk butting heads with any of the perceived upper class. Likewise, he'd try to stay in the background and never attempt to take on any responsibilities or appear to have any influence regarding how New Pacifica was run. By all intents and purposes, John would remain a Drone, a nameless face of no consequence. From the colonists' point of view, the only reason that he and Devon were continuing to live under the same roof was because Devon had developed a motherly affection for True. He would dutifully play this role to the best of his ability and, with any luck, the colonists would permit him to live in peace. And if the Blue-bloods still had a problem with him even after all of the concessions that he and Devon had made, as far as Danziger was concerned, they could all go straight to Hell.

As long as he and Devon kept their cards close to their vests and didn't reveal the truth, they could have a life together. He would finally have the family that he'd always wanted. It was almost too much for John to hope for. Almost.

At the very same time, Devon sighed contentedly as she enjoyed the sensation of Danziger's hands affectionately rubbing her shoulders and upper arms. For the first time since she'd been released from cold-sleep over two and a half years before, she truly felt alive.

Unbeknownst to either of them, Devon's head was filled with similar thoughts to the ones which Danziger was currently working out in his mind. Things were going to be different now. Devon knew from the moment that she had returned John's kiss that she could never- would never- go back to the way their relationship was before. And she was determined never to lose him again.

But being with John would require a delicate, prudent touch on both of their parts. Although they could be honest about their feelings for one another whenever they were alone or among the members of Eden Advance, they could never be so careless as to flaunt their newfound status in front of the colonists. Devon could never enter into a marriage contract with him, nor could they ever take the risk of having additional children. However, that was a small price to pay. Besides, they already had two terrific kids and that was more than enough for the both of them.

There would always be difficulties and speculation regarding her close association with John. Some colonists would assume that the Danziger family was yet another philanthropic cause that Devon had hitched her wagon to; one more example of her seemingly insatiable need to fraternize with "The Great Unwashed." Others would surmise that she had kept John around to serve as her concubine; a private indulgence afforded to society's wealthiest and most powerful members. And there would always be a few who believed that Danziger's presence in Devon's life had become so important to her that it had amounted to an obsession on her part. In fact, there were those such as Oscar Taggert who would remain convinced that John had become so vital to Devon that she had literally killed for him.

The salacious gossip would never cease completely. It would be the elephant in the room which no one dared address in their presence, but would be whispered about at length whenever they were out of earshot. But she didn't care about what was said behind their backs, as long as John wasn't turned into a scapegoat for any of Devon's supposed mishandling of New Pacifica's daily operations. In fact, Danziger would be kept out of all of the colony's politics and she would continue to do whatever it took to shield Danziger from the fray. That is, she would do anything except give him up. That was simply no longer an option in her mind.

They would keep moving forward. She would put her trust in John and in the other members of Eden Advance. But more importantly, she would learn to trust her own instincts again. She'd have faith in the Terrians, in the newly healed Syndrome children and in the future of G889. And she would have renewed faith in humanity.

Devon understood that life in New Pacifica would not be perfect, but she would do everything within her power to keep all of the promises which she'd made over the years, both to herself and to others. She would work tirelessly to ensure that there was a peaceful coexistence between the Terrians and the planet's newer inhabitants. And, at the same time, Devon would finally allow herself the privilege of being truly happy. She deserved it.

All she could do was give her very best. She hoped that it would be enough.

Only time would tell.

THE END

* * *

AUTHOR'S NOTES: This is my offering as to why there was no Danziger in the episode "The Boy Who Would Be Terrian King" which had included a Future Devon, Uly and True. In fact, the lack of Danziger's presence has always bothered me, so I wanted to write something that would explain his conspicuous absence. In the episode, Adult Uly had informed Devon that she was visiting one of several possible futures of G889. So within the context of my story, it could be argued that Devon's visions of Adult Uly in peril were from the ORIGINAL timeline in which John had died before her resurrection and the colonization of G889 had eventually failed. But now that the future had been changed for the better, things could be different. Basically, what it comes down to is that I'm a diehard D&Der and I wanted to write a brighter possible future for my favorite couple. I feel better now. 


End file.
